Torre Mudéjar, Mudéjar tower in Cali, Colombia.
Torre Mudéjar is a four-story brick structure standing beside the Immaculate Chapel within the San Francisco Complex in downtown Cali. The structure features a distinctive design with decorative elements that rise consistently throughout its height.
The Chapel of the Immaculate Conception was built in 1764 without a bell tower; payment records from April and May 1772 date the tower's construction, which the French architect Édouard-François André placed in 1773 after his 1876 visit. A 1774 letter names Antonio Idrobo as builder and records salt and 'amarillo de Castilla' dye carried from the Mulaló hacienda near Vijes.
The tower's name comes from the Mudéjar style, brickwork shaped by Muslim craftsmen working under Christian rule in Spain. A 1774 letter names Antonio Idrobo as builder and records salt and "amarillo de Castilla" dye carried from the Mulaló hacienda near Vijes; traces of that yellow remain inside and on parts of the exterior. A local legend tells of a bell heard ten kilometres away, damaged by a friar and never as loud after being recast.
The tower is located near Carrera 6 and Calle 9 in the historic center of Cali and is easy to reach on foot. The area provides access to several other historical sites that can be visited together.
The tower's dome is decorated with glazed tiles and features an ornate wrought iron cross at its top. Building materials were transported from the Mulaló hacienda during its construction.
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