Torre del Oro
The impressive Torre del Oro greeted us as we made our way toward the Guadalquivir River that slices through Sevilla. Built by the Moors as a defensive lookout in 1220 (along with an identical tower on the other side of the river), it was joined to the Real Alcázar as part of Sevilla's defenses. Back in those days prior to heavy siltation taking its toll, the river was still Sevilla's main connection to the coast of Spain, so the two towers also anchored a heavy chain that stretched across the the Guadalquivir to control ship traffic and protect the city's port from sea-borne attack. The tower was damaged during the major 1755 earthquake that destroyed downtown Lisbon and it is also believed that may have been what destroyed its sister tower. The slender upper lookout turret at the very top of Torre del Oro was added in 1760 during the work to repair its earthquake damage.Formerly used...
