Malmuerta Tower

Tower in Córdoba

Torre De La Malmuerta1
CC BY-SA 3.0 / Lancastermerrin88

The Torre de la Malmuerta is a gate tower in Córdoba, Spain. This albarrana tower was built in 1406–1408, by order of King Henry III of Castile, over a pre-existing Almohad structure, to defend the gates of Rincón and Colodro.

What does the Malmuerta Tower look like?

It is an albarrana tower, this means that it is not integrated into a wall, since it was linked to it by means of an arch.

Tower is a substantial example for medieval architecture. It is crowned by decorative crenelations. It is joined to the city walls by a rounded arch, under which there is an inscription giving details of its construction. On the inside, various staircases lead to the walkway and, above that, to the only room in the building, which has a vaulted ceiling and window slits to let the air in.

It has an octagonal shape and is solid to the first floor, where there is a room with narrow windows. The interior of the tower is made up of a large hall. A staircase allows entering the top of the tower, from where one has a great panoramic view over the city center.

History of the Malmuerta Tower

The Malmuerta Tower was built between 1404 and 1408, inspired by the Seville Gate of the Old Alcázar. It was built on top of a previous Islamic building. During history it has had a multitude of uses, serving as a prison for nobles, a powder keg and even because of its height it has become an astronomical observatory.

The Legend of the Malmuerta Tower ?

The name Malmuerta means ‘Tower of the Wrongly Dead Woman’ or ‘she who has died badly‘. According to popular tales, the tower was so named after the death of a noble Cordoban lady, her husband a knight, Lord Fernando Alfonso caught his wife being together with another man and therefore killed them both. He requested the forgiveness of John II King of Castile and due to his status as knight, he became penalized not by death, but he was ordered to build that tower. Some say he was to be jailed within until his death.

The Malmuerta Tower appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Córdoba!

This website uses affiliate links which may earn a commission at no additional cost to you!

Visiting Malmuerta Tower

Hours:

24 Hours


Price:

Free

Address: Torre de la Malmuerta 14001 Córdoba Spain
Duration: 20 minutes

Nearby Attractions

Similar Blogs