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Tower of Cope

Águilas, Alto Guadalentín, Murcia

1 Villages · 7 Monuments · 4 Nature · 2 Activities · 3 Curiosities · 4 Historical milestones · 2 Food and drink

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Tower of Cope

Monument · Águilas, Alto Guadalentín, Murcia

The Torre de Cope, also called the Torre del Santo Cristo, is a 16th-century watchtower built beside the sea, north of Cabo Cope, by the concejo of Lorca to warn fishermen and shepherds of attacks by Berber corsairs. Its construction, ordered in 1539 by Charles I, was completed in 1574 following the involvement of the engineer Juan Bautista Antonelli and Vespasiano Gonzaga, and it was permanently guarded by three or four watchmen. Square in plan, it retains battlements, arrow slits and a machicolation, with a raised door reached by a retractable ladder. It was restored between 1990 and 1991, and in 1801 its rooms were used as a store for almadraba (tuna-trap) products.

Photo: Jose Lorca (Public domain)

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