Torre del Clavero

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Torre del Clavero
Calle Consuelo
Salamanca, September 2025

“The Torre del Clavero is one of the most typical and well-known monuments in the city of Salamanca, Spain. Although it is not very well documented and lacks a specific monograph. There is no agreement among historians as to who commissioned its construction, this Gothic tower is one of the best preserved in the peninsula. On the one hand, there are authors such as Villar y Macias who believe that its promoter was Mr. Baño Clavero in 1470 (the person who guarded the keys and archives of the Order of Alcántara), hence its name, or it is thought that it was commissioned by Francisco Soto Mayor, a member of the aforementioned order. On the other hand, there are those who say that it was commissioned by Diego de Anaya, also a member of the same Order of Alcántara; this thesis is defended by researcher González Dávila y Dorado. It is true that the heraldic emblems of both decorate and adorn their walls. The Clavero Tower was erected in the second half of the 15th century, although there is some controversy as to its function, whether it was a defensive tower or an integral part of a palace in the second half of the 15th century. Although its height is low to be defensive, some authors assume that the tower was attached to a civil construction; if so, it would follow a typical construction of urban buildings, so Professor Edward Cooper points out that it could have been a reduced imitation of the Cordoban Castle of Belalcázar, whose tower is practically identical and with which there are existing links. Other authors, such as Álvarez Villar, think that its layout and height do not allow us to imagine any type of defense. Again in the 15th century, its status as a noble promotion will be seen, although we must not forget the very important Board of Trustees of the University existing at the time”. (Torre del Clavero, Wikipedia)