Torre de la Illeta

Monuments

Dominating the marina, is this tower that was built between 1554 and 1557, to prevent the population from attacks by Berber pirates who continuously harassed our land, looting and causing great destruction and fear throughout the population. The Viceroy of Valencia, Don Bernardino de Cárdenas, Duke of Maqueda, ordered the construction of a whole system of watchtowers. He gave them four men in each: two on foot and two on horseback. Thus, at the moment when a pirate ship was seen, the men on horseback rode quickly to warn nearby authorities of the immediate danger, while the men who remained in the tower were in charge, by means of smoke signals by the day and bonfires at night, to alert the other towers of the invading sighting. This tower is built in the shape of a truncated cone, its diameter is six meters in the base and five in its highest part, the entrance door is located in its middle part, so to access it, a staircase was necessary "Cat" or rope. Its interior is solid from the base to the height of the door and from it, access to the terrace by an interior staircase. It was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and restored in the year 1991.