GPS: 41º 46' 2,4" N | 8º 35' 5,9" W
Tower of the Old Jail and St. Paul’s Tower
Ponte de Lima
41º 46’ 2,4” N | 8º 35’ 5,9” W
Ponte de Lima
Description
Both classified as buildings of "public interest", just like the wall connecting both towers, the tower of Cadeia Velha and the tower of S. Paulo (that was also once known as Tower of
Expectation and Wicket Tower) are the most prominent witnesses of what is left of the old wall of Ponte de Lima, which, besides the walled structure, was composed by towers and doors, a group of buildings erected during the reign of Pedro I, in the 14th century.
According to the title documenting the work, in gothic letters, and highlighted next to the church of Santo António da Torre Velha, where in earlier days the Old Tower was located, the construction work of said tower started with the crushing of stone on March 8th and laying of stonework starting on July 6th 1359.
The Tower of Cadeia Velha, adapted as a prison during the 16th century (reign of Manuel I), presently houses the Loja do Turismo (Tourism shop) and many temporary art exhibitions. The attentive visitor will find, while walking through the old town centre,
traces of the towers and walls and its respective marks, placed on the pavement, evoking the disappeared monumental structure.
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