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Tower of el Petrol

la Riba, Alt Camp, Tarragona

1 Villages · 1 Monuments · 1 Activities · 2 Historical milestones

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Tower of el Petrol

Monument · la Riba, Alt Camp, Tarragona

Watchtower situated on the summit of Puigcabrer, in the Serra de Miramar, at 525 metres above sea level, in the municipality of la Riba, in Alt Camp, protected as a cultural asset of national interest. It is cylindrical in shape and built of stone; it was constructed in the 19th century, during the Third Carlist War, by order of Manuel Orozco, commander of la Riba, to fight the Carlists led by the Nen de Prades. The site, strategic for defending the pass between Camp de Tarragona and Conca de Barberà, had already hosted the old castle of la Riba, documented in 1176. By day it served as a watchtower and by night for optical signals. Its name, del Petrol, comes from Orozco's reputation as a drinker, who would ask for petroli when asking for spirits; a lightning bolt split it during the Carlist war.

Photo: jordi domènech (CC BY-SA 3.0)

What to see and do in la Riba