The Watchtowers of the Huerta

A few metres from Torre Sarrió, in the heart of the Albufereta district, stands Torre Santiago, one of the most singular defensive constructions in Alicante's huerta system. Built between the 16th and 17th centuries, it shares with its neighbour the same free-standing square-prism typology, but holds a singular story of destruction and rebirth.

For centuries it was part of the visual chain of alerts against the Barbary corso: its sentinels watched the coast while its estates then produced vineyards and cereals. However, unlike other towers that survived through residential use, Torre Santiago was reduced to rubble at the end of the 20th century. Until 1989 only the ashlars of its four corners remained standing, resembling small columns amid the debris.

Its restoration returned dignity to its rubble and ashlar walls, its ground floor and three storeys, and a terrace that once again dominates the huerta landscape. One fact fascinates visitors and researchers: in its basement is preserved a sealed tunnel that, according to tradition, connected with the neighbouring Torre Sarrió, evidencing the strategic coordination between the two estates in times of danger.

Today, Torre Santiago is an indispensable witness to understanding the defensive architecture of the Campo de Alicante and the daily life of a huerta that had to fortify itself to protect its agricultural wealth.