The Palau Olivar, the historic noble house opposite Ciutadella Cathedral, will once again play a central role in the town’s Sant Joan festivities, more than a decade after it last did.
The new caixer senyor
Ignasi Saura Sánchez, a 30-year-old businessman, will be the caixer senyor — the member of the nobility who presides over the festivities — and has chosen the Palau Olivar as his base. It will be the first time the building has been used for this role since 2012–2013.
Saura has a very good relationship with Simón de Olivar Vivó, a former caixer whose family owns the 18th-century building, and has begun working with the family on the adaptations needed for June. He says the palace is the right place to give the celebrations the greatest public visibility.
The cathedral square also offers more space than many locations in the old town, which helps with crowd safety during the busiest moments of the fiestas.
A family tradition
Saura comes from one of Ciutadella’s old noble families, continuing a tradition that goes back generations. His grandfather, Ignasi Saura de Sintas, was caixer senyor in 1948–49, his cousins Gabriel and Ignasi Saura Miret held the role in 1976–77, and his cousin Borja Saura García did so more recently. The role rotates among the noble houses.
An entrepreneur
Beyond his ceremonial role, Saura is a co-founder of Cototo Wifi, a company created in 2013 that brought internet connectivity to Ciutadella’s historic centre using a network of rooftop antennas.
His plans
Saura says he faces the festivities with great excitement and plans to introduce some new details in traditional clothing and accessories. He insists that the fiestas belong to all the people of Ciutadella.
Sant Joan
Sant Joan in Ciutadella, held around 23 and 24 June, is one of the best-known festivals in the Balearics, with the caixers on horseback, the jaleo in which the horses rear among the crowd, and centuries of tradition. The choice of the caixer senyor and the house from which he presides is followed closely in the town, and the return of the Palau Olivar will give this year’s fiestas a special setting.
