Norfeu Tower

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The Norfeu Tower (Torre Norfeu) stands 174 metres above the coves Cala Calitjàs and Cala Jóncols. It's not part of Spain's cultural heritage list, even though of course it gets mentioned in architectural monument catalogues and is labelled as a "monument of local interest".

It's a shame; the history of the Norfeu Tower is full of curiosities—it is one of the dozens of lookout towers built in the Costa Brava between the 15th and 16th centuries that, unlike its counterparts, has plenty of stories to tell.

Usually, this type of fortification tower was built by local municipalities or even private citizens, so most of the construction, occupation and decommission flew under the radar of historical archives. Not the Norfeu Tower: the royal decree by King Felipe III, dated June 30, 1599, specifically orders the establishment, staffing and arming of a lookout tower on the Cape of Norfeu. The explicit goal was to prevent Arab pirates from collecting drinking water from the springs in the area of Calitjàs and Jóncols coves, of which there are three—Norfeu, Floris and Canadell. Italian architect Hyeronimo Marahi was named head of the project and paid from the royal coffers directly.

None of the original blueprints have survived to this day, but we have records of schematic drawings and detailed descriptions put together by the engineer Agustín de Alberti.

Where the modern-day ruins of Torre Norfeu now stand, once was a two-storey tower with a circular base and a roof battlement. The ground floor housed a 50 cubic litre water tank with a round opening in its lid to facilitate drawing. Rainwater collected on the roof and drained into the tank through tiled pipes. The water tank and the remnants of the water collection system survived to this day.

The entrance to the tower was on the second floor, accessible only by a retractable ladder. The second floor is divided into four rooms, each with its own loophole. The battlement access ladder was right by the entrance door. The parapet of the battlement was equipped with machicolations, or floor openings, on three sides to make it easier to throw stones or pour boiling water over attackers. The eastern side of the battlement contained a semispherical arch to temper the force of the local strong wind Tramuntana. The total height of the tower from the ground to the highest point of the battlement was 7.5 metres.