Torreo de Oro- Golden Tower - Another important tourist attraction of Seville is the Golden Tower, Torreo de Oro. The tower was built in the 12th century by the Almohad Caliphate. It has a very interesting appearance and a height of 26 meters. The dodecagonal tower was used for defense against enemies across the Guadalquivir river. From the Golden Tower to the other side of the shore there was a chain that did not allow ships to disturb the peace.
The tower served as both a prison and a warehouse, and it was named the golden tower for two reasons. During the period of Andalusia's heyday, the ships that went across the river unloaded the gold stolen from the colony from Latin America at this place. The tower was a "station for goods from the new world". Then, it is believed that it got its name from the reflection in the river that cast golden reflections due to the type of building material with which the tower was built. When it is bathed in the sun, it really takes on the color of gold.
The building consists of three levels, the first level was built by the governor of Amohoda in 1229, the second level is credited to Peter of Castile, while the third level was built by the Brussels military engineer Sebastien Van der Borcht.
After the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755, the tower was largely damaged. The proposal to demolish the tower was made by the Marquis of Monte Real, in order to widen the road for carriages. The citizens of Seville did not agree with what caused the riot in the city. The king reacted to the rebellion and prevented the idea of demolition. Reconstruction of the tower began in 1760, when a third level was added to the tower. Although the tower, according to testimonies from before, has lost its original appearance, it has gained a new shine. The tower became more stable and got a new approach. In 2005, additional renovations were made to the tower. The Maritime Museum has been located in the tower since 2008.
Admission: for adults 3 €
while for children from 6 to 14 years old and for people over 65 years old the admission is 1.5 €
Working hours
from Monday to Friday from 09:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m
on weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
