Torres de Serranos

History

Torres de Serranos was build in a Valencian Gothic style between 1392 and 1398, by Pere Balaguer. The architect was inspired by other Gothic gates like Porta de Sant Miquel in Morella and the Royal Gate of the Poblet Monastery.

This is one of the twelve protection towers that were built to protect the city of Valencia. All these towers were connected with one big Wall. Unfortunately, if you walk around nowadays in the big city Valencia you miss 10 of the original towers. We are missing the big Wall connecting the towers as well. There are only some Little parts left of this Wall. The Wall was taken down in 1865 simply to expand the city of Valencia. Where the name Torres de Serranos is exactly from remains a big mystery. Unfortunately, it was never written down. 2 reasons are more likely.

1. The tower was connected to the royal road, connecting Valencia with the district of Els Serrans

2. The tower could be named after one of the important families behind this tower, the Serrans. They lived in the Street behind this tower.

Functions Torres de Serranos

During the years Torres de Serranos had different functions. The tower didn´t only exist to defend the city of Valencia. In the year 1586 one of the main prisons of Valencia burnt down. This prison was especially for the knights and the nobility. The tower was used for prison until the year 1887.

Spanish Civil war and Torres de Serranos

During the Spanish Civil war, they stored the art of the Prado Museum inside this tower to protect the art as well as possible. To do this they made December 1936 a 90-cm layer of reinforced concrete inside this tower. Above the concrete, it was converted with a layer of 1-meter rice and 1 meter later of soil. The terraces were covered with sandbags. This was to protect the paintings as well as possible in case of a bomb attack. This project was realized by the architect José Lino Vaamonde.