Torre del Oro en Sevilla

Original antique view of the Torre del Oro in Seville, drawn by Genaro Pérez de Villaamil and published in Paris in 1842. The image shows this twelve-sided defensive tower located on the bank of the Guadalquivir River, in the historic center of Seville. The complete tower is visible with its characteristic crenellated structure, surrounded by buildings and walls that formed part of the city’s defensive system. The Guadalquivir River appears in the foreground with boats and human figures that provide scale to the composition. The Torre del Oro was built in the 13th century during the Almohad period to control river access to the city and was part of the walls that protected the Alcázar of Seville. Genaro Pérez de Villaamil (1807-1854) was a Spanish painter and lithographer specialized in architectural landscapes and views of historic monuments in Spain. This view was made using lithography, a printing technique that reproduces drawings on limestone.