Torres de Quart

Torres de Quart, together with the Torres de Serranos, is part of the old city wall of Valencia. The purpose of the towers was to deflect danger from outside. They were built in the 15th century by the architects Fransesco Baldomar and Pere Compte. These gentlemen were much sought after architects at the time. They were involved with the construction between 1441 and 1460. The architectural style of the towers is late Gothic with military influences.

History

These walled towers endured the War of Independence from the French, the War of Succession, the Cantonal and the Spanish Civil War. You can still see the smashed marks of cannonballs from the War of Independence on the thick walls, many people think they were caused by the deterioration of the passage of time. Since 1931, the Torres de Quart has been part of the national historic heritage.

Nicknames

Torres de Quart is also called the Torres de Cuart (with a C) or De Cuarte this is because the Torres de Quart so with a Q is the Valencian name of these towers. The towers have a cylindrical plan to the outside of the city and are beveled or flattened to the inside of the wall, unlike the Torres de Serranos, which are polygonal. The towers have a crenelated top, with a terrace of hard stone masonry. These defensive towers are barely made. In the lower part, they have a frame that slopes to the ground in a vertical wall. The cylindrical outer part is glad, making them difficult to access. The Torres de Quart were given the name: Torres de la Cal (Lime Tower) until 1874, since in the 18th century it was required that the lime entering Valencia had to pass through there. The later facade was later discovered so that the interior could be seen.

Origin of the name

The origin of the name has to do with the place where the towers stand. There used to be a road running under the gate to a village called Cuart de Poblet. Although the towers had a protective function, it has also served for other things such as a women’s prison and later this was changed to a military prison, in 1932 the military prison in the towers ceased to exist.

Masonry and the shape of the structure

The towers are built with lime and stone, the corners and arches are built with parement (kind of natural stone). The gate is made of wood and 4 meters high. What makes this tower different from the Torres de Serranos is that the Torres de Quart are cylindrical. Also, the towers of the Serranos are angular while that of Torres de Quart is round.