See
Torre de la Vela Blanca, Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park, Spain
View Original Description
The Vela Blanca tower is a beacon located on the coastal promontory of La Vela Blanca, a volcanic dome in the town of Níjar, within the Cabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park. It has been an Asset of Cultural Interest since 1993.
The specific time of its construction is unknown, although it seems that in its place there was a beacon built by Yemeni Arabs from the area at least since the 12th century , although the original building must have been destroyed in the 15th century . In 1544 Diego Dolio proposed the construction of a new tower on the same site and despite the fact that the work was carried out it was destroyed by Berber pirates a short time later. In 1593 it was repaired or rebuilt under the construction supervision of the Granada-born mason Juan de Rus for 237,000 maravedíes, although in 1739 it appears already ruined. In the year 1764 Francisco Pepín GonzálezHe offered to repair this tower in exchange for a military rank promotion for his son. The work that was carried out enabled it as a signal tower, not forming part of the network of artillery towers that were built on the rest of the coast. In 1850 it became the property of the Police Corps , later it was used as an electrical tower , in the 1960s it was sold to a private individual and it still has residential use today.
The construction that is observed today is made of masonry with some brick reinforcements. It has a truncated shape with a circular plant and is solid in its lower half with a roof in its upper part. It has a single room in the upper third which is accessed through a small lintel door located quite high. In the interior room, apart from the entrance, small narrow windows similar to loopholes open.
Show more
Share on Tumblr
Share via E-mail