El Puerto de Santa María, Spain's oldest town, hides a curious secret. The Castillo de Santa Catalina del Puerto, stands protectively over the entrance to the town, but something about its tower is amiss. The tower that was to anchor the castle, meant to stand for centuries, succumbed to the sea and history, leaving little but a shell of its former grandeur. The castle was commissioned by Charles V in 1540, but construction of the tower did not begin until 1585.
The tower, which was to be the castle's most imposing feature, is now only partially standing, leaning precariously over the sea. The tower is a tronconical structure, with two arches and designed to house heavy artillery. The castle protected not only El Puerto de Santa María but was also part of the system of defenses of Cádiz. The castle was fortified in 1625, and again in the 18th century, but despite these efforts, it was destroyed in 1702 and later rebuilt.
It was rebuilt again, but the tower was demolished in 1810 to prevent the French from using it. Today, the ruins of the tower can still be seen in the inner courtyard of the castle. The castle is protected by Spanish decrees from 1949 and 1985, but time and the sea have taken their toll on the once-grand structure.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
Discuss this with the author and others
No comments yet. Be the first to start the conversation.