The Torreón de los Guzmanes in Ávila is a Renaissance building constructed in 1513 by order of Garcibáñez de Mújica on a structure that previously belonged to Sancho del Águila. The building serves as the current headquarters for the Provincial Deputation of Ávila.
In 1878, King Alfonso XII stayed in this palace during a visit to the city. The Argentine writer Enrique Larreta also set part of his 1920 novel La Gloria de don Ramiro in this building. The site was declared a Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC) with the category of monument in 1983.
The structure features a quadrangular Renaissance tower built with ashlar and granite masonry, ending in trefoil merlons and machicolations. The ground floor features a gallery with stone arches and cornices decorated with rosettes and large shields, supported by 12 columns of the Tuscan Doric order.
The basements of the Torreón were restored as an exhibition hall. Today, it hosts a permanent exhibition on pre-Roman Vetton culture, while its central hall also hosts temporary exhibitions.
Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons
Written by Nik Frost
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