Index

• Lazaretto of Mahón: sanitation filter for epidemics
• Action on goods and general lazarettos
• Protection against the plague and control at land borders
• Why a Lazaretto in Menorca?
• The quarantine problem in Spain
• The trigger and the solution
• Choosing the location
• How was the Lazaretto project developed?
• Practical order factors
• Development of the Lazaretto
• What does the Lazaretto of Menorca symbolize in Spain’s public health?
• Beginnings and obstacles in the construction of the Lazaretto
• Resumption and completion of the construction
• Uses and rehabilitation of the Lazaretto
• The Lazaretto of Menorca designed as a sanitary prison
• An effective protection wall
• Functionality and purpose
• Mysteries and challenges
• A contentious competence
• The organization of the Lazaretto of Menorca: a delicate matter
• Functions and responsibilities of the Lazaretto board
• Employees and functioning of the Lazaretto of Menorca
• Quarantine procedures at the Lazaretto of Menorca
• Interrogations and documentation
• Inspection and quarantine
• Reality vs Theory
• Advancement of medicine and state management
• Evolution of diseases and the role of Lazarettos
• The legacy of Mahón’s Lazaretto
• Modern relevance

Lazaretto of Mahón: sanitation filter for epidemics

In the XVIII century, lethal and invisible dangers faced sailors cruising the Mediterranean. Beyond pirate attacks and storms, infectious diseases threatened in ports. Lazarettos were established to combat this, and they were capable of receiving and isolating both passengers and goods.

Quarantine, an observation period originally lasting forty days, aimed to verify any disease manifestation. Religious, not medical reasons, chose the forty-day duration, although isolation periods varied over time.

Action on goods and general lazarettos

Lazarettos treated goods by storing them in airing warehouses or subjecting them to gases to eliminate imaginary miasmas. General lazarettos didn’t merely serve local patients; they intended to accommodate people and goods arriving by sea, whether suspicious or ill. Builders constructed these facilities at ports, not land borders, where achieving complete control was almost impossible and not worth the effort.

Protection against the plague and control at land borders

In the XVII and XVIII centuries, the primary danger was the plague, originating from North Africa and the East. It was a long journey over land, and possible infected individuals became sick along the way. The only planned actions on land were sanitary cordons formed by armed soldiers to stop traffic from infected territories.

Why a Lazaretto in Menorca?

The quarantine problem in Spain

Although lazarettos (quarantine facilities) have existed since the XV century, Spain didn’t think about it until the Marseille plague of 1720. After the plague, everyone relaxed, and attempts to build a lazaretto in Spain failed, mainly due to economic issues.

In the XVIII century, we didn’t need a lazaretto. Ships from America took so long that the journey itself served as quarantine. Plus, the common belief was that yellow fever wasn’t contagious person-to-person but came from local miasmas. So there was no hurry.

But everything changed when Spain made peace with North Africa. Spanish ports started receiving ships from regions where the plague was endemic. Now, with shorter trips, the plague could be a real problem, and authorities knew it.

The trigger and the solution

The trigger occurred in 1785 when authorities needed to quarantine 268 freed Spanish slaves from Algeria. There was no place for them, so authorities sent them to Menorca. The facilities there were small, and the slaves ended up in a provisional camp.

After resolving this issue, Spain decided to permanently fix the sanitation protection problem. In 1787, authorities ordered the construction of a general lazaretto in Menorca, exactly where they had sent the Algerian repatriates.

Choosing the location

Authorities chose Menorca, but not on the islet where they had housed the freed slaves, but on a peninsula called Felipet. This place had a small nearby lazaretto, known as Quarantine Island, in use since the XV century.

Initially, authorities intended the Mahón lazaretto to accommodate all suspicious ships wanting to reach a Spanish port. However, the actual need varied, especially with ships coming from America, which didn’t necessarily have to comply with this quarantine.

How was the Lazaretto project developed?

It’s uncertain why authorities chose Menorca among all options for the lazaretto. Some Menorcan authors suggest it was for the area’s healthy environment, where even confined slaves on the island of Colom resisted diseases. But this is mere speculation, and people must consider other practical factors.

Practical order factors

Menorca, being an island and the furthest Spanish land from the continent, offered advantages. First, if an epidemic broke out within the lazaretto, the disease would have difficulty reaching mainland Spain. Also, Menorca’s geographical location was strategic for travelers coming from the East and North Africa, being the natural first stop on their journey to Spain.

Mahón’s large port, capable of maneuvering entire fleets, and its unique shape offering safe refuge from storms, undoubtedly influenced the choice as well.

Development of the Lazaretto

Despite deciding to build the lazaretto in 1787, it wasn’t until 1792 when the need became pressing due to a new episode of plague in Algeria. They visited the chosen peninsula in the Menorcan port, agreeing on the price and purchase conditions with royal administration technicians and the landowner, Mr. Miquel de Vigo.

The initial order for works wasn’t given until July 3, 1793, and the foundation stone was laid on September 15 of that same year.

What does the Lazaretto of Menorca symbolize in Spain’s public health?

The Lazaretto of Menorca stands as a tangible reminder of Spain’s history and public health efforts. Its architecture represents a neoclassical design, with double walls and watchtowers meticulously organized to contain and manage contagion.

As a monumental institution, it witnessed critical events, including interruptions in construction, rehabilitation, and operational challenges. Its impact extends beyond its physical structure, symbolizing the tension between central and local government and embodying the fears and attitudes of the local community.

It’s an emblem of the continuous battle against diseases, a fortress of prevention, and a testament to public health endeavors.

Beginnings and obstacles in the construction of the Lazaretto

During the initial stage, military engineer Manuel Pueyo supervised the construction of the Lazaretto of Menorca. Just three years later, builders completed one of the four planned areas. On August 15, 1797, the jurors of Mahón took possession of the finished part of the lazaretto and used the facility to disinfect cotton cargo.

But construction halted the following year. The Crown ran out of money, and the number of workers dwindled to 30. The English reconquest of the island completely stopped the work in 1798. The English, uninterested in the project, already had their own lazaretto in Mahón.

Resumption and completion of the construction

In 1802, Spain regained Menorca, and the project resumed in 1803 with 10,000 duros allocated for the laborers. Engineer Guillermo Casanova led the work enthusiastically, beginning it. To increase speed, they even used prisoner squads in the construction.

However, the project did not unfold as planned. Interruptions like yellow fever outbreaks in 1803 and 1804, and the redirection of workers to other missions in 1805, delayed the work. Finally, with 500 workers, they completed the construction in 1807, celebrating with a blessing ceremony in October. But the inauguration resulted in no practical effects due to the Spanish War of Independence.

Uses and rehabilitation of the Lazaretto

For ten years, they used the Lazaretto’s facilities for various purposes, from quarantine to barracks and prison. Misuse caused significant deterioration, and in 1816, under King Fernando VII, a major rehabilitation became necessary.

They carried out repairs for almost a year, culminating in the definitive inauguration on July 17, 1817. Although they received no ship until September of that year, it marked the official beginning of the Lazaretto’s functions. The first ship to arrive was a Spanish bomb vessel called Antonia.

The Lazaretto of Menorca designed as a sanitary prison

An effective protection wall

The Lazaretto of Mahón in Menorca, with its neoclassical style, forms a polygonal structure bounded by a double wall of 1,200 meters and watchtowers. These walls stand just over 7 meters in height, with a separation of 12 meters between them. Internally, another double wall divides the space into two nearly equal parts. The west houses buildings and warehouses intended for travelers and goods from non-plague ports but with endemic diseases.

The east designates areas for travelers from ports with declared epidemics. Special emphasis separates people from goods and sorts different traveler departments according to health status. A simple wall at the eastern boundary separates a triangular-shaped enclosure known as the infected patent, and authorities intend it for contagious patients. Near this enclosure, two cemeteries reserve space for the deceased, one for Catholics and another for people of other religions.

Functionality and purpose

The structure isolates those in quarantine. Each department has buildings for passengers, infirmaries for common diseases, vegetable gardens, and wells and cisterns for water and disinfection. A small circular chapel even includes separate cells so those in quarantine can hear mass without contact between them.

Authorities intended a fourth department, called clean patent, for employees and travelers from non-suspect countries, but no one ever built it. Its absence made authorities exempt travelers with a clean patent from quarantine and house employees in specific departments, though isolated from the confined ones.

Mysteries and challenges

The absence of the clean patent department, because no one built it, resulted in practical challenges. Employees had to live there, likely in a separate section to maintain the effectiveness of the isolation. This hypothesis might explain why the interior walls, now missing, don’t appear on the plans but show up in some drawings of the Mahón port from the 19th century.

A contentious competence

The organization of the Lazaretto of Menorca: a delicate matter

The inception of the Lazaretto of Menorca raised a highly sensitive question: How should authorities organize it, and who should lead it? The juries of Mahón had overseen the maritime health of the port for over a century through the Municipal Health Board. However, recent modifications by central administration reduced municipal powers.

Local leaders, stubbornly, insisted on controlling the new Lazaretto. Yet, days before its opening, the Crown established the Superior Board of the Lazaretto of Mahón. This Board had total independence from local authorities, also being independent at the regional level, and answered only to the Supreme Board of the Kingdom.

The composition of the Board was diverse, with its president possibly being the island’s general governor or the political chief of the Balearics, depending on the time. Other members included notable figures like the port’s commander, a consulting physician, a representative of Mahón traders, among others.

Functions and responsibilities of the Lazaretto board

The Board handled both the Lazaretto of Menorca and the health of Mahón’s port. This encompassed organizing the health institution, managing its economy, and taking preventive measures related to ships arriving at the port.

Employees appointed by the Board, such as a warden, a doctor, and a surgeon, handled the daily management. They ensured the enforcement of passenger quarantines and the disinfection of goods.

A controversial matter was the dual role of medical personnel, who had to attend to both common and contagious diseases. This was debated multiple times due to the risk of contagion between patients.

Employees and functioning of the Lazaretto of Menorca

Completing the staff were a priest, a sacristan, and a group of health guards who monitored the confined and goods to ensure seclusion and isolation. Other employees operated outside the Lazaretto, like the health deputy of Calasfonts and the health deputy of the Consigna.

The diversity of personnel and functions showcased the complexity of the organization and operation of the Lazaretto of Menorca. From the outset, it was perceived as a vital institution but filled with challenges and conflicts.

Quarantine procedures at the Lazaretto of Menorca

Interrogations and documentation

The quarantine process at the Lazaretto of Menorca began with a detailed interrogation. Health deputies in Es Castell questioned ship captains arriving at Mahón harbor, reviewing health documentation, specifically the health patents. Depending on the patent and interrogation results, the harbor captain assigned an anchorage. Suspicious vessels were sent to cala Teulera, while less risky to cala de San Jordi, all within Mahón harbor. This anchoring system resembled the Lazaretto department structure, mirrored in surrounding waters.

Inspection and quarantine

The ship’s master then went to the Consigna building in Mahón. Here, they double-checked the health documentation, and conducted another interrogation. If necessary, they inspected the passengers, crew, and cargo. The quarantine time and place were then defined.

Goods thought to carry diseases, such as clothing and cotton, were unloaded and decontaminated. Passengers were taken to a perfumer to eliminate miasmas before being assigned quarantine residences. The sick were segregated, and goods subjected to various treatments, like fumigation and airing.

Reality vs Theory

Despite these ordinances, practice varied. Normally, goods went to warehouses, but people stayed on ships. The explanation lies in the Lazaretto’s precarious economic situation. Its income came from quarantines but didn’t cover all expenses. According to an 1853 report by Felip Monlau, the institution couldn’t provide basic furnishings. Therefore, people preferred to spend quarantine on ships, under surveillance, with only masters and clerks disembarking at the Lazaretto.

Advancement of medicine and state management

The dire situation in lazarettos gradually changed during the 19th century. Real changes occurred in its latter decades. Medical advancements revealed how infectious diseases spread, leading to the disappearance of patent structures and construction of specialized infirmaries. Disinfection shifted from gases to autoclaves and substances that killed real vectors: parasites. Meanwhile, the State took control of Mahón’s lazaretto, improving its scant facilities within Spain’s limited budget.

Evolution of diseases and the role of Lazarettos

As the Lazaretto improved, great epidemics devastating Europe were eradicated thanks to hygiene progress. Although replaced by new diseases like cholera, classical lazarettos proved ineffective. Isolation alone couldn’t control diseases transmitted through contaminated water and food. Thus, these facilities’ role in fighting diseases diminished, leading to lazarettos’ closure and reuse for other purposes worldwide.

The legacy of Mahón’s Lazaretto

In Spain’s case, the Lazaretto of Mahón ceased operating as a health facility in the early 20th century. Buildings served various uses, including children’s holiday colony, summer residence for health officials, and scientific conferences. Its continuous opening was key to preserving its structures, almost intact for two centuries. This makes Mahón’s harbor lazaretto a vital architectural set, a near-unique testimony to an era’s end in human history fighting contagious diseases.

Modern relevance

In a world grappling with pandemics like COVID-19, the history of lazarettos like the one in Menorca helps us understand the lineage of contemporary quarantine practices. They remind us of the perpetual balance between public health needs and economic considerations, reflecting in our time as we negotiate the management of infectious diseases.

The Mahón Lazaretto in Menorca not only symbolizes Spain’s response to infectious diseases but also portrays the complex realities and beliefs of the time. A blend of practical considerations and cultural beliefs shaped the decisions, and its legacy persists as an essential chapter in the history of public health.