The towers of Cádiz, or Cádiz from above.
When I say we live in a tower, people’s faces contort into question marks.
In France, this translates to: “A tower? What do you mean, a tower… public housing? In Andalusia?”
In Cádiz, it’s more like: “Why live in a storage unit?”
So these are the towers of Cadiz?
Cadiz from above
Of course, the answer is quite different. For those discovering Cádiz and its “casco antiguo,” there is the Cádiz of the lower city and the opulence of its Baroque and Neoclassical buildings, its squares lined with exotic trees where the cosmopolitan elite gathered when the city was the indispensable port for trade between Europe and the New World. And then there is the upper part of Cádiz. What is there to see from up there?
Just over two centuries ago...
At the end of the 18th century, Cádiz was the influential meeting place for Spanish, Flemish, French, Italian, Dutch and English merchants... All European nationalities exported and imported fabrics, pigments, spices, gold, chocolate, tobacco... Everything passed through Cádiz, as the Guadalquivir and its sedimentation prevented heavy ships from sailing to the river port of Seville.
Nearly 100,000 inhabitants mingled in the casco antiguo. Today there are just 30,000.
Just like in Monopoly, merchants buy up square meters of rectories or dilapidated buildings to build their empires. It’s always the same logic: the ground floor for the store, one floor for offices, another for the merchant and his family, and a top floor for servants or for storing goods.
Sometimes “áticos” spring up on the rooftops, serving as attics. Today,the “ático” has been converted into a rooftop apartment that’s in high demand.
Of course, the more opulent the merchant, the more attractive the building.
Towers are also beginning to sprout up on building roofs.
Why these towers?
Competition is fierce in the port of Cadiz.
The merchandise is not yet ashore, and merchants are already negotiating by sea.
The tower as a watchtower to observe approaching ships. The higher the tower, the greater the chance of being seen by the commander.
So merchants built near the port. Soon, 160 towers were erected. All too quickly, the town council legislated. Henceforth, to avoid destabilizing building foundations, only one tower per building was authorized.
Today, between 126 and 133 towers remain. Let's not argue about numbers.
They come in four different forms
The “watchtower”
Or the “guardhouse” tower, which, as its name suggests, features a guardhouse or shelter on its rooftop terrace with small openings: tiny holes for the lookout’s eye, through which signals are sent to approaching ships using mirrors to negotiate with competitors unseen and secure the best cargo.
The “Torre Sillon”
Or the “armchair” tower. It really does look like an armchair. It’s often four stories tall, with the third floor featuring a large balcony where friends can gather, fly kites, while on the top floor, from the rooftop terrace, the merchant negotiates using waving flags and smoke signals.
The “mixed tower”
A combination of the two previous ones. Only one remains today. It’s located on “Calle Jose del Toro,” and we were lucky enough to stay there for a weekend. The owner takes great care of it. He inherited it from his grandfather, whose black-and-white photo, centered in a frame in the small living room like a marquise, shows the elder in the early 20th century. He looks dashing in his suit and boater hat and proudly gazes out over Cádiz from the first balcony.
The “Terrace Tower”
Or the rectangular “terrace” tower, soaring skyward.
Like the Torre Tavira, the city’s tallest tower, standing 45 meters above sea level. It is open to the public and can be visited every hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (the 7 p.m. slot is available only from May through September).
The tour in French is at 3pm. ➽ CLICK to book
The view of Cádiz from above reveals “a town with a small-town feel,” as Eli, the second Guiritana, puts it. Yes, the Arabs certainly left their mark here. The city appears white, with its rooftop terraces dominated by clotheslines. Rooftops are communal in Cádiz; few locals venture out onto them.
Imagine the same thing in France: pop-up bars, community gardens, and tables shared among neighbors would be everywhere.
But here’s the thing: the people of Cádiz love their comfort. They prefer the squares or the beach to get together. It’s more convenient. No stairs to climb. Just grab your folding chair and set it up to start a game of dominoes, with the lightweight table planted in the sand. Parents and children come after work and school to join the crowd, for an evening swim in the sea before summer vacation.
Unclassifiable towers at last
The guiritana tower
The one we rent, the one we saw shortly after moving into an “ático” across from it. The tower that made us want to live in Cádiz.
A tower built in 1745 by Francisco Antonio del Arco y Hondiz, a Basque man who had made his fortune in the tobacco trade. Our Basque was influential.
His tower is unlike any other; he was able to deviate from the four prescribed forms. It is a “sillon” tower that, when viewed from the front, is not entirely rectangular. (See the opening photo of the article.) Above all, its rooftop terrace is partially covered, offering a sheltered living space (the living room) and an open terrace.
A roof with “azulejos azules” (blue tiles) to keep your head in the sky and your eyes on the sea no matter the season: on windy days, in bad weather, or during the (relatively) cold winter.
The tallest tower in Cádiz after the Torre Tavira.
➽ DISCOVER the amusing history of the building on which the tower stands ➽ here.
The “Hidden Beauty”
The only octagonal tower in the city. “Bella Escondida” means “Hidden Beauty” because you can’t see it from the street. You have to climb up onto the rooftops to see it. It faces the “mixta” tower, also on Calle José del Toro.
It’s a private tower. The Guiritanas were lucky enough to visit it. For those interested, it’s for sale.
➽DISCOVER IT via this link, along with the accompanying legend.
The “House of the Four Towers”
Or the “House of the Four Towers.” A wealthy Syrian merchant named Juan Fragela built it between 1736 and 1745. It is the only building with four towers on its roof.
How is that possible? Remember, city officials now only allow one tower per building.
One tower wasn’t enough for our merchant. No problem. He created four entrances for his building; four different addresses, and thus one tower per address. Clever.
Long left abandoned, the “Casa de las cuatro torres” has been transformed since 2015 into a boutique hotel with just a few rooms, each one unique and restored in the true Cadiz tradition. This was a use that Juan Fragela had also envisioned, as his home once offered a few rooms to passing merchants waiting for their goods.
If you’re also visiting Cadiz ➽ BOOK via this link a room with a view to enjoy breakfast on the city’s rooftop.
There are still a few unclassifiable ones that escape our eye.
Living in one of these towers gives us plenty of time to find them and bring them to you.
So, what about the towers? Do you see them differently now? Would you like to see them “in person”?