Tower of the Watchtower - Jerez de la Frontera - Andalusia

The Watchtower is also known as the Watchtower, Sailing Tower or Council Tower . It is one of the most important examples of Gothic-Mudejar architecture in Jerez. It can be seen from the outside on Plaça Plateros.

It is distinguished by the rich and varied decoration of the openings. The tower is adorned externally with blind windows with double arches, mocarne capitals and mouldings.

The watchtower is a tower for civil use . It was built in the mid-15th century next to the town hall to house the city's first clock and as a lookout tower to warn of danger with smoke signals from bonfires. At the beginning of the 16th century, the building became a watchtower or lookout point with the function of warning of Berber attacks on the Cadiz coast. Back then , lightships from North Africa often arrived to kidnap people and then demand money for their release . This tower's role was to warn against the Moors on the coast , hence the famous expression.

The tower is connected to the Church of San Dionisio. The base is one of the chapels of the church and consists of a bell tower with a clock.

Willem Vandenameele