TORELLO

Two sites separated by 300m and a millennium of history are found in the shadow of a modern airport the talaiot here, one of the largest in Menorca, is often the first that visitors see it is visible from incoming planes. Of more interest is the 6^th century basilica, Es Fornas de Torel, discovered in 1956 by a farmer ploughing up his fields. The church, built under Byzantine rule, is protected by a corrugated iron roof but you can walk around the viewing platform and marvel at the motifs of peacocks, lions and palm trees on the mosaic floor. Parts of the altar survive, as does the baptismal font; the design suggests an African influence, indicating early links with the North African church.