Cathedral Tower-Belfry

Emblem of the city of Murcia and its Cathedral, this marvelous 93-meter-high construction can be seen pretty much from every corner in the municipality. This tower is the second highest in Spain after Seville's Giralda.

 

Built between 1521 and 1793, Jacobo Florentino was responsible for the construction of the first body of the tower, with a square floor, plateresque decoration and Renaissance style. After Mr. Florentino passed away, Jerónimo Quijano continued with the construction of the second body, which includes the cathedral archives, built to protect documentation from continuous floodings of the Segura River. The architectural style of the second body is similar to the first one, although excessive tilting caused construction works to be put to a halt for two centuries, from 1555 to 1765. Then, after the middle of the 18^th century, José López undertook the construction of the third body, which houses the clock and is distinguished by its Baroque style. The next body has four conjuratories crowned with pyramidal domes and images of the four saints of Cartagena and patron saints of the Diocese: San Leandro, Isidoro, Fulgencio and Florentina. The tower was fully built in 1793 after construction of the belfry, known for its  rococo style and Neoclassical dome by Ventura Rodríguez.

 

The belfry has 20 majestic bells that were used in the past to warn and inform people of floods, festivities and even armed conflicts. Some bell dongs still sound today for the purposes of preserving traditions.  

 

To access the cathedral tower it is necessary to book a guided tour at the Cathedral Museum