The Torre del Oro is located on the left bank of the Guadalquivir River, next to the Real Maestranza bullring. It dates back to the year 1220, it is an albarrana tower, that is, it was part of a fortified enclosure, it closed the way to the Arenal by a section of wall that united it with the Torre de la Plata, which was part of the walls. who defended the Alcázar. It is 36 meters high and its name is due to the golden reflections produced by the tiles that covered it in its time. Today, it houses the Naval Museum, with models, navigation charts and compasses. In 1931 it was declared a historical-artistic monument in 1931.
The Torre del Oro has three bodies, each of them built in a different period. The first leather was built by order of the Almohad governor of Seville Abuù I-Ulà in 1220. It consists of twelve sides, with narrow openings (loopholes) to be able to launch arrows from inside, in case of attack. The second section is also dodecagonal and was built by order of Pedro I the Cruel in the 14th century and the third upper section is cylindrical and topped with a dome, the work of the engineer Sebastián Van der Borcht, in 1760.
The Tower has served as a defense of the city, as a prison, as an archive and from 1944 onwards it was inaugurated. In it the Naval Museum, for which they brought 400 pieces from the Museum of Madrid. It consists of two floors, the first displays memories of the history of the tower and the port of Seville in the Arab era, the importance it had in the reconquest of the city, the port as the gateway to the New World, the decline of the port and Contemporary Seville. On the upper floor, various ancient navigation instruments and ship models are displayed, as well as historical documents, nautical charts related to the discovery of America, the first trip around the world, the river Guadalquivir and the port of Seville. On the roof you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the city.
Curiosity: When the Tower was restored in 2005, it was seen that the shining surface was composed of a mixture of lime and pressed straw and that it was those blades of straw that made the tower shine like gold.
FromMonday to Friday from 09:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.