Torre de Ercilla, Medieval tower house in Bermeo, Spain
Torre de Ercilla is a medieval tower house positioned above the old harbor in Bermeo, featuring a six-sided stone structure reinforced with thick defensive walls. The building contains three distinct floors, each designed to provide overlook and protection to those who occupied it.
The tower was built in the late 15th century as a residence and fortress for the Ercilla family, who held the structure through generations. By the mid-20th century, it ceased to serve as a home and eventually came under the control of the Provincial Council of Biscay.
The tower's name connects it to poet Alonso de Ercilla, whose verses mentioned Bermeo and gave the structure literary connections that remain part of local heritage. As you walk through its rooms, you sense how deeply this place ties into the cultural memory of the fishing community.
The building now houses the Fisherman's Museum and is accessed from below through stairs leading up from the harbor level to the entrance. Visiting on quieter weekdays helps you enjoy the rooms and the views from upper floors without crowds.
Among roughly 30 tower houses that once stood in Bermeo's historic center, this is the sole survivor and the oldest civilian building in the town. Its preservation stands out because all similar structures around it have disappeared over time.
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