Tower of Silver

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Torre octogonal del siglo XIII, situada en la calle santander, fotografiada más de cerca

The Tower of Silver, with an octagonal floor plan, was built in the 13th century by the Almohads and was part of the walls that surrounded the town. It was the end of the walled enclosure and was annexed by a wall to the Tower of Gold. With the arrival to power of King Ferdinand III, the tower was named Torre de la Victoria (Tower of Victory), although it continued to be popularly called Tower of Silver.

By the 16th century, the defensive function of the wall had been lost and consequently it served as a support for houses, shops and warehouses. Therefore, the Tower of Silver itself became less important in the town.

Until recently, it has been used as a dwelling, its silhouette being hidden between terraced buildings, among which only the battlements and little else were visible.

It was partially restored in 1992 and both the tower and its immediate surroundings are in the process of being upgraded.

This is an octagonal tower with irregular sides in which two rooms are known to exist: one on the ground floor, above which there was one on the main floor with an exit to the upper roof, closed by a crenellated parapet. However, restoration works have uncovered a lower area that was used as a cistern for water collection.

The lower floor is covered with a ribbed vault from a primitive Gothic period, arranged in eight elements that support as many ribs and that start from simple pilasters with no less simple imposts and come to join all in a polygonal keystone.

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