Tomás J. de Salort y Salort (Ciutadella, 1832 – Ciutadella, 1901) was a Menorcan nobleman and politician who served as mayor of Ciutadella in 1867 and 1868. On February 13, 1873, he married Ignacia Martorell Squella, a member of two of the most distinguished families of the Menorcan aristocracy.

The presence of the Salort family in Menorca dates back to the conquest of 1287, promoted by Alfonso III the Liberal, which ended four centuries of Muslim rule on the island and led to its incorporation into the Crown of Aragon. Bernat Salort, from Monfort, took part as a captain in the fleet that set sail from Salou to carry out this military campaign.

In 1864, Queen Isabella II issued a royal decree confirming the ancient nobility of the Salort house of Menorca, granting the title of knight to Diego de Salort y de Salort, of the Alaior branch, and to Tomás J. de Salort y de Salort, of Ciutadella, which marked the beginning of the family’s participation as caixers senyors in the Sant Joan festivities.

Tomás J. de Salort y de Salort presided over the Sant Joan celebration. during the biennium 1866–1867, becoming the first member of the Salort family to hold this responsibility. The most recent has been, during the biennium 2024–2025, Carlos de Salort Pons, son of the eighth Count of Torre Saura, Carlos de Salort Sintes, who served as caixer senyor in the biennium 1980–1981.

Mayoralty of Ciutadella (1867–1868)

During the tenure of Tomás J. de Salort at the head of the Ciutadella Town Council, which coincided with the final years of Queen Isabella’s reign, several significant events took place in Ciutadella.

In December 1867, under Mayor Salort’s presidency, Ciutadella received David G. Farragut (1801–1870), the first admiral of the United States, who played a significant role in the American Civil War. He was the son of Jordi Farragut Mesquida, born in Ciutadella in 1755.

The municipal council of Ciutadella, headed by Tomás J. de Salort, agreed to name Admiral Farragut an Adoptive Son of the city in recognition of his career and military achievements. This decision marked the beginning of Ciutadella’s relationship with the Navy League and the celebration of the Memorial Day, the annual tribute before the bust of David G. Farragut, next to the Castell de Sant Nicolau, at the mouth of the harbor.

Historical Context and Legacy

Menorca in the second half of the 19th century experienced a period of political and social transformations parallel to those taking place in the rest of Spain.

After the fall of Isabella II, the local revolutionary council of Ciutadella, with the prominent participation of Canon Camilo Mojón, promoted modernization measures such as the demolition of the city walls to encourage urban expansion, which also included buildings affected by the Confiscation of the properties of the regular orders.

Among them was the demolition of the Convent of San Francisco, with the development of the new urban layout from Plaza del Borne to the Contramurada, the new space that emerged after the demolition of the city walls. It also promoted the construction of a covered public market in Plaza de la Libertad, a project begun in 1868 and inaugurated in 1869.

With the restoration of the monarchy in 1875, Tomás J. de Salort, who devoted himself to managing the family’s agricultural estates, continued to be a respected and esteemed figure in the society of Ciutadella, frequently consulted on numerous local matters, as his opinions and judgments were highly valued.

Tomás J. de Salort Salort passed away in 1901, after having played a prominent role in seven decades of 19th-century Menorcan history in Ciutadella.