À propos de ce lieu
The Torre del Oro, the Tower of Gold, is one of the most recognisable landmarks of Seville, standing guard on the bank of the Guadalquivir river. It was built around 1220 by the Almohad rulers of Moorish Seville as part of the city's defences, a dodecagonal, twelve-sided watchtower anchoring the walls where they met the water. A great chain is said to have stretched from here across the river to a matching tower on the far bank, to block enemy ships. Its romantic name may come from the golden shimmer of its reflection in the water, or from lime mortar mixed with straw that once gave its walls a golden glow. In the great age of exploration it watched over the fleets returning laden with the riches of the Americas. Today it houses a small maritime museum and offers fine views from its top.
À retenir
- 1220 year — The tower was built by Seville's Almohad Moorish rulers as a riverside defence
- 12 sides — The lower body of the tower is a twelve-sided polygon
- 36 metres — The approximate height of the golden riverside landmark
📍 Paseo de Cristóbal Colón 41001, 41001, Sevilla