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Escalante Tower

Ayuntamiento de Istán
Ayuntamiento de Istán  • info@istan.es  • 952 869 603

Ayuntamiento de Istán

Escalante Tower

Entrada Torre EscalanteLocated in the heart of the urban nucleus and in its highest part, right in San Miguel Street.

Its origin may have been one of the lookout posts which constituted the defence of Marbella to the North and at the same time was used as a dual purpose farmhouse tower: defensive and for shelter of the townspeople.  There are two events which befell the Escalante Tower in which both Christians and moors took part, the two groups which lived in the old kingdom of Granada during the XVI century.

The first must be attributed to the escape attempted by its residents in May of 1506.  After the defeat of Río Verde, their assets were expropriated and donated by Royal Mercy to the treasurer Francisco de Vargas.  Within these walls the act of possession took place in accordance with the ritual established in the Siete Partidas and which was carried out by a representative of Vargas, expressly designated for this purpose.

Torre Escalante de IstánThe other event takes place on 1st of January 1569 during the initial stages of the moors rebellion.  The Incumbent Escalante, not having his own house lived in the tower which was made in the form of a fort.  When he left for Marbella to communicate the news of the uprising, the rebels tried to take the building, they stole corn, oil and other items from the first vault and tried to capture the cleric’s niece, Juana de Escalante and her maid, although she managed to get up to the first floor and defend herself from her assailants until the Marbella troops arrived.

Description

The date of its construction is not known with certainty, but it must be attributed to the Nazar era with the Christian res-structuring of the XVI century.  Its construction is cubic, with an arch, vault and rows of regular-shaped stone.  The hall is rectangular with two pendentives in the east wing, which start at mid-height and open up at the top from where the arches begin that would form the vault.

Torre de escalante-recintoCurrently, there only remains evidence of the vaulted area, a semi-circular arch and the patio, which was destined for the passage of cavalries towards the Corral of the council, now non-existent.  Considered to be one of the most important vestiges of the past, it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in accordance with the “Law of Spanish Historic Heritage of 16/85”.

  • Visiting hours:  It is open throughout the day.