Torre del Oro Seville

If you find yourself in Sevilla you should visit Torre del Oro, or Tower of Gold in english, one of the most famous monuments and an impressive place. If you make a trip to Seville for a day or two you are bound to see her.

This tower albarrana wrapped between myths and legends, its singular name, has become the memory of an Arab past that has left an indelible mark on the city of Sevilla.

History of the Torre del Oro

Sevilla is one of the cities where the mixture of Arab and Christian culture is most striking, a place that invites us to know a little of its history through its monuments. Gold Tower Seville was built between 1220 and 1221 when the Iberian peninsula was under Islamic influence, and specifically by the Almohad governor Abu-Allah. It is a watch tower, a fortified separated from all the walls, and communicated with Latorre Plate joined only by a wall. In 1931, Latorre Gold, was declared a historic monument and historical heritage of Spain. After the conquest, he was given a religious use and became the chapel of San Isidoro de Sevilla. It was also used as a prison and later emerged legends about other uses that gave the King Pedro I. At the side of the tower the port of Seville, which arrived goods from different parts of Castilla and traded with the rest of the American continent was. In 1755, after the Lisbon earthquake, the tower was hit and was reason for the Marquis de Monte Real propose its demolition to widen the road. However, thanks to the protests of Seville at the time, the King of Spain intervened and sent strengthened. His first restoration was in 1990 by engineer Carlos Falcon. After this took place several restorations until 2005.

What is your name be? Always they emerged several rumors about his iconic name, Torre del Oro. One of the legends that the gold extracted from America was kept there but the reason for this does not come from the myth. A chronicler named Luis Peraza, says his name is because the tower was covered with tiles and when the light of the sun shone played these. But history confirms that in the tenth century, when the facts of the conquest of Seville narrated, already named as the Torre del Oro, due to the brightness radiating product mix mortar of lime and straw. Brightness can see from the roof of the Torre over the Guadalquivir river in Seville’s historic center. What was its purpose? The main function of the Torre del Oro was to protect and defend the city from the invading enemies. It was the most important Almohad wall of the old city. With its construction was given by completed the defensive system of the Islamic city. It was the most important defensive point since defended the port was in and out of the city. Work by closing off the Arenal through a stretch joined by the Coal wicket next to the Tower of Silver and Latorre Abd el Aziz.

Architecture, Building and description of the building

Gold Tower has 36 meters high and 15 meters wide, made by stone blocks. The make up three bodies. The first is dodecagonal, built in 1220 by order of the Almohad governor. The second body was ordered to be built in the fourteenth century by King Pedro I and the last was built in 1760 after the earthquake. The foundation was made on soft ground to be very close to the river and its foundation was added pine wood to give consistency. But now the Gold Tower has 11 meters foundation. Because after the Lisbon earthquake in its restoration was necessary to add 6 meters.

Visit the Torre del Oro – Marina Museum

Gold Tower became the Maritime Museum in 1936 by order of the Ministry of Marine and years later became the restoration to improve its facade and two plants were set up for displays. In 1942 and the tower had three floors to exhibit their works as a museum. In the first two several works they were located and the third was left for use by researchers. 400 pieces of the Naval Museum in Madrid were taken for exposure. These pieces were composed of historical elements of the tower and harbor. Ancient navigational instruments and objects such as the compass, figureheads, paintings and prints and cards with marine theme of old sailors, are some of the objects that can be seen. In the museum you can see different models of boats like Real Fernando, 1817, and was the first steam built in Spain. There is also the brig, “San Ignacio de Loyola,” a Spanish oil tanker that made 44 trips to Philadelphia and disappeared at sea in 1912. Among the works include a cannon of the sixteenth century Renaissance style, with reproductions of the first world map scientist of the sixteenth century. In addition, you can find fossils and fishing tools that were used in the voyages of exploration of the time.

Useful information on gold tower in Seville

If you visit the Maritime Museum located in the Tower, keep in mind the time of year, because in high season per plant capacity is 50 people and must wait their turn to enter. It is not allowed to eat inside the premises of the Torre del Oro in Seville and is allowed to bring animals. It came to pose for a moment demolition because of time neglect and abandonment of the tower, but the inhabitants of the city were not allowed to be carried out those plans. Sevilla as one of the cities most visited by tourists, has a variety of hotels and restaurants that provide access to the Tower.

Ticket’s Prices Torre del Oro

The price of tickets for the Torre del Oro is economic and depends on the age of the tourists. Adults who visit the site will pay the price of the complete ticket, 3.00€, while children between 6 and 14 years, students, people over 65 and retired accredited must pay € 1.5. In addition, people with disabilities and children under 6 years have completely free access to the site. Mondays have the advantage of being free to the public.

Opening of the Torre del Oro

Monday through Friday schedule dela Torre de Oro is from 09:30 to 18:45 on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:30 until 18:45 hours and holidays is closed. For more information about the schedule and price of the Torre de Oro, phone call 0034 954 222 419

How to get there?

You can take a pleasant stroll along the banks of the river or use public transport. If you want to visit the Torre del Oro there are several methods we can use: Seville has many places that may be of interest, and the tourist bus that takes you most of them we can bring directly to the Torre del Oro. The bus has two levels so you can enjoy the tour of the city, you can upload as many times as desired once bought the ticket. Transport can be taken from any tourist site features including the old gypsy quarter, the Museum of Fine Arts and the medieval Jewish quarter. 20 bus leaves every 30 minutes from each stop and the whole journey takes about an hour. Another option to visit the Torre del Oro is public transport. The lines can be taken to reach the tower are Gold 3, the 21, the 40 or 41. In Seville we can find horse-drawn llamadosCalesa cars, these cars will serve for a spin around town unique and original way.