New book describes founding of Georgetown

A new book on Georgetown in Minorca, which was founded by the British in 1771, will be presented at the town hall of Es Castell (as the town is now called) at 7.30pm tomorrow. The book, in Spanish, is called La Fundación de Georgetown, Menorca, 1771 and it is the work of architect Enric Vilardell Santacana.
Published by the Official Balearic College of Architects, it is the first of a collection of works.
The strategic city of Georgetown was designed by Scottish military engineer Patrick Mackellar, who was also commissioned to build it.
He designed it to improve the defences of Minorca, during the second period of British domination.
It includes a history of military architecture and is well illustrated with colour photographs, maps and detailed plans.
The book is a revision of Vilardell's doctoral thesis.
He described Georgetown as “a very special” piece in the planning history of the 18th century, of special interest to the armed forces, historians, architects and town planners. He added that it had been neglected in the past because all the documentation on the project is in Britain and France.
Vilardell was born in Barcelona but has lived in Minorca for the past 25 years and has published three works on architecture in the neighbouring island, including one on contemporary architecture from 1950 to 1990.