The Calvià Town Hall has formalised the donation of a work by artist José Carlos Terroba that commemorates the civil guards Diego Salvá and Carlos Sáenz de Tejada, murdered by ETA 17 years ago. The sculpture, a lit tricorn hat, will be installed on the street named after one of the victims.
On July 30, 17 years will have passed since the ETA attack that claimed the lives of two young civil guards in Palmanova, and the municipality of Calvià will remember it with a permanent monument. The Town Hall and local artist José Carlos Terroba Bello have signed the donation of a commemorative sculpture that will be located on the same street where the attack occurred, Diego Salvá Lezaun Street.
The work, designed and donated by Terroba, consists of a Guardia Civil tricorn hat made of iron, standing 110 centimetres tall and weighing around 207 kilos. It is set on a white marmolina base and incorporates an interior and indirect lighting system in green tones, evoking the colour of the Benemérita's uniform. The aim, according to the artist, is to create a space of reflection and respect for those who come to pay tribute. A plaque will accompany the piece with a text in memory of the victims.
The installation of the sculpture was unanimously approved at the ordinary plenary session in November 2025, with votes in favour from all municipal groups represented in the council: PP, Vox, and PSIB-PSOE. The mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, highlighted that the initiative came from Terroba himself, known locally as the author of the heart of Palmanova. "José Carlos is from here, from Calvià, a great artist. He took the initiative to propose we create this monument in memory of Diego and Carlos, who were murdered 17 years ago now," said the mayor.
Amengual emphasised that the municipality does not forget the attack that took the lives of two "very young" civil guards and keeps the memory alive "as long as that crime remains unresolved." The attack, which occurred on July 30, 2009, resulted in the deaths of agents Diego Salvá Lezaun and Carlos Sáenz de Tejada García, both stationed at the Guardia Civil barracks in Calvià.
For artist José Carlos Terroba, this has been the work that has moved him the most. "It is true that, along with the family, with the support of everything that the Calvià council represents, I have felt very good. It is a sculpture that I say I wish had never had to be made," confessed Terroba, visibly affected by the significance of the commission.
The Calvià Town Hall has already organised the official tribute event for July 30 at 9 in the morning, at the same location where the attack took place. It will be an open event, attended by local, island, and regional authorities, as well as police, military, and civil society representatives. The day will include a floral tribute in memory of the two agents.
The sculpture thus becomes a permanent symbol of the condemnation of terrorism and the remembrance of the victims in a municipality that experienced the tragedy up close. Residents and visitors will be able to visit it on Diego Salvá Lezaun Street, a place that already honours the memory of one of the deceased.
The event on July 30 will be the first where the new work is present, and the council hopes it will serve to keep the memory of what happened alive and for new generations to learn the history. The sculpture, with its green lighting, aims to be a beacon of reflection in the heart of Palmanova.
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