The Missing minorcans

Looking Toward the 250th Anniversary of Arrival in St. Augustine (2027)

Recently, a special luncheon was hosted at the historic Casa Monica Resort & Spa in St. Augustine to welcome Luis Soler, an author and podcaster from Menorca, Spain. The gathering brought together historians, cultural leaders, and descendants of Minorcan families in an effort to strengthen the historic ties between Menorca and St. Augustine.

Participants and Representation

Those attending the luncheon represented a broad cross-section of organizations and families dedicated to preserving Minorcan history and culture:

• Angela Ortagus Saxon, representing The Minorcan Experience
• Russell Hall, representing The Menorcan Cultural Society
• Nicole Diehm, representing the St. Augustine Historical Society
• Ryan Brennan and Emily Ward , representing the Ximenez-Fatio Museum
• Byron Capo, representing one of St. Augustine’s long-established Minorcan families
• John Gilroy, Minorcan researcher

Purpose of the Gathering

The main goal of the meeting was to inform the visiting family from Menorca about the upcoming 250th anniversary of the Minorcans’ arrival in St. Augustine in 2027. This significant anniversary commemorates a key event in American colonial history when Minorcan, Greek, Corsican, and Italian indentured colonists, following nine challenging years at the Turnbull Colony in New Smyrna, left the colony and walked to St. Augustine in search of freedom.

Literature, Memory, and Place

Luis Soler has written two novels containing significant scenes set in St. Augustine. This visit provided him with a rare opportunity to walk through places that he had previously only imagined – streets, buildings, and spaces that are deeply connected to the Minorcan story. The luncheon facilitated meaningful exchanges between lived heritage and literary interpretation, anchoring fiction in place and memory.

Looking Ahead to 2027

As a result of this meeting, awareness of the 2027 anniversary will now extend beyond Florida to Menorca itself. The gathering also helped foster a shared hope: that renewed international interest may encourage collaboration in the ongoing effort to locate and memorialize the 964 Minorcans who died at the Turnbull Colony and remain buried in unmarked graves in what is now New Smyrna Beach.

Their absence from the historical record remains one of the most profound silences in Florida history. Descendants and researchers hope that through continued cooperation between Menorca and St. Augustine, at least one grave may someday be found, serving as a tangible memorial to all who were lost.

A Shared Commitment

This luncheon was more than a social gathering. It was an act of remembrance, connection, and resolve-linking the past and present, Menorca and St. Augustine, history and living memory. As preparations for 2027 continue, such conversations ensure that the Minorcan story is not only remembered but honored with truth, dignity, and purpose.