Silver Tower

Illustration by Arturo Redondo of the Silver Tower (Torre de la Plata) in Seville in 1519.

The gates and doors of the city served as entrances and exits, and each type of merchandise had its corresponding entrance. Oil entered through the Oil Door, and Coal through the Coal Door; the latter became known as the Gold Door after the arrival there of riches from the Americas. Everything, whether insignificant or valuable, had to be accounted for in order for the corresponding taxes and rates to be paid. Overshadowed by its more famous sister, the Gold Tower (Torre del Oro), the Silver Tower went unnoticed in its modern urban surroundings until more recently. It currently houses a hidden world of offices, awaiting a more fitting recognition of its undeniable historical value.