Visit the Torre del Oro in Seville and the Naval Museum

If it weren’t for the Giralda, surely the Torre del Oro would be the most famous monument in Seville. Even so, it is also one of the stars of Sevillian postcards and its image next to the Guadalquivir River is famous throughout the world.

It is another of the Arab constructions of Seville and whose visit is also essential.

Inside is the Naval Museum of Seville, a small museum highly recommended for lovers of navigation.

History of the Tower of Gold

This famous monument was built during the Almohad era of Seville, specifically in the year 1221.

The Torre del Oro has a dodecagonal base although from a distance it appears to be circular.

It was built as part of the walls that surrounded the city at that time and had a defensive character.

Although it is no longer standing today, on the other side of the river there was another tower to which it was linked by a thick chain that prevented navigation on the Guadalquivir River.

After the reconquest, it lost its defensive use, becoming a chapel and even a prison, falling into disuse and abandonment. Its state became unfortunate after the 1755 earthquake, although at the beginning of the 20th century it was recovered and restored and in 1936 the Naval Museum of Seville was installed there.

Visiting the Tower of Gold

If we observe the Torre del Oro in detail we can see that it consists of three bodies.

The first of them was the primitive construction from the Almohad era while the second body dates from the 16th century.

As in the Giralda, there is not a very drastic change in the bodies despite being built at different times.

The third body, narrower, is cylindrical and is crowned by a dome built in the eighteenth century.

If you want to visit its interior you can do so thanks to the fact that it houses the Naval Museum of Seville, opened in 1944 and where we can admire old navigational instruments as well as engravings, objects and historical documents.

Seville has always been closely linked to navigation on the Guadalquivir and the sea, which is why the museum is very interesting.

The surroundings of the Torre del Oro are very pleasant and you can walk around them with total peace of mind. It is surrounded by gardens and very close to the beautiful Plaza de España.

You can find more information on the official website of the Naval Museum of Seville.