From a refuge for conquerors and artists to a source of inspiration for architects. A book chronicles, through its mansions and their owners, why Ibiza continues to exert its enchantment

It is the most eclectic of the Mediterranean islands, certainly the most charismatic: a land of myths, of contrasts, of freedom. Long before tourists, Ibiza was the landing place for conquerors, dissidents, hermits, but also architects in search of inspiration. “It has long been in the vanguard, with a culture of diversity and inclusiveness cultivated over centuries that still defines it today. It hosted its first famous visitor, the Austrian Archduke Louis Salvatore of Habsburg-Lorraine, in 1867 and, a century later, in the 1960s, welcomed the island’s first gay club , in the shadow of the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco,’ says Emma Roig Askari, author of Inside Ibiza (Vendome Press), out soon, which emphasises the intimate connection the island has always had with design and style. ‘Ibiza,’ Askari continues, “was identified by Nostradamus as the last sanctuary on Earth when the end of the world comes, and indeed has offered refuge to Jews fleeing the Nazis, Italian artists escaping fascism and young Americans fleeing the Vietnam War. With its can (typical houses) Ibiza has captivated some of the greatest exponents of architecture in the last century, such as Josep Lluís Sert, Walter Gropius, and Le Corbusier. The book, produced in collaboration with photographer Ricardo Labougle, takes us on a discovery of the most spectacular houses and of their owners, regulars who had the luck and insight to elect this small land as their buen retiro. – LAURA TACCARI