Torre Espioca, Medieval defense tower in Picassent, Spain.
Torre Espioca is a rectangular stone tower in Picassent with a base of roughly 5 by 6 meters and a height of about 17 meters. Arrow slits pierce all four sides for defensive purposes.
Torre Espioca was built in the 11th century as an Almohad defensive tower in the hamlet of Espioca, near Niñerola. James I of Aragon took Espioca and gave it to Roderic Sabata. Both hamlets were abandoned after the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609, leaving the tower standing alone.
The tower stood in the hamlet of Espioca, near Niñerola; both villages were deserted after the expulsion of the Moriscos in 1609. Its name survives in the place, and the tower is now a Bien de Interés Cultural, listed by ministerial annotation RI-51-0007339 on 19 January 1993.
The tower stands in open farmland on the edge of Picassent, reached by rural tracks; there is no visitor infrastructure, so plan to view it from outside. The access level wall is 1.32 metres thick, and the four setbacks mark the four floor levels. Bring water and sun protection, as the surroundings offer little shade.
Excavations during restoration work uncovered an interior pit and fragments of surrounding walls, revealing how the original structure was organized. These discoveries helped piece together the site's past.
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