The octagonal Malmuerta Tower was constructed in 1408 to protect the northern city gate of Puerta del Rincon. Notice the large archway. This was a bridge leading from the defensive curtainwall to the detached watchtower. This fortification style is called an Albarrana Tower. The design was favored by the Muslims when they occupied Spain. Torre de la Malmuerta in English means, “Tower of the Wrongly Dead Woman.” The name is derived from the legend of a knight, Fernando Alfonso, who falsely accused his wife of adultery before murdering her and her suspected lover.
