Lighthouse Tower

Category: Military Architecture > Tower

District: Guarda > Sabugal > Sortelha

Location

The Torch Tower stands in the locality of Sortelha, in the municipality of Sabugal. This tower is attached to the village's Romanesque wall, strategically positioned on its westernmost side. Its elevation offers a vast perspective over the surrounding landscape, allowing effective control of access to the interior of the settlement.

The Communication Legacy

The popular name, "Torch Tower" (Torre do Facho), derives from its original function as a crucial communication point. In the past, lit torches at night or bonfires during the day were used at its top to send signals. This practice allowed visual contact with other fortifications in the region, underscoring its strategic importance in the defensive network of the time. The tower functioned as an "eye" of the fortification, considerably extending the field of vision over the transition from the Meseta to Cova da Beira, and even to Serra da Estrela.

Construction Details

With a rectangular plan and approximately ten meters in height, the Torch Tower stands out for its solidity. Its walls are covered with numerous mason's marks. These signs engraved in the stone are not only traces of the work of medieval artisans but also valuable clues that help to date the tower's foundation, pointing to the reigns of D. Dinis or D. Fernando. These details reveal the techniques and era of its construction.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt