Torre del Vigía
| Torre del Vigía | |
|---|---|
 Building in 2013 | |
Interactive map of the Torre del Vigía area | |
General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Watchtower |
Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | Plaza del Vigía Maldonado, Uruguay |
| Coordinates | 34°54′37″S 54°57′41″W / 34.9104°S 54.9614°W |
Completed | 1799 |
| Height | |
| Height | 13 m (43 ft) |
The Torre del Vigía (English: Watchtower) is a tower located in central Maldonado, Uruguay. It is located in the Plaza del Vigía. The building was constructed during the Uruguayan colonial period.
Design
The building has a height of 13 m (43 ft) and a width of 5 m (16 ft).[1] It is located at an elevation of 39 m (128 ft) on a hill where Maldonado was founded, making it one of the highest points in the city.[2][3] The building was constructed of brick.[4] Access to the tower is provided via a stone staircase, leading to the top of the building. The Torre del Vigía also contains an observation deck.[5]
History
The construction of a lookout tower in Maldonado was ordered by Uruguayan viceroy Antonio Olaguer y Feliú in 1797. The building was designed in order to monitor the Río de la Plata estuary, which at the time had become the focal point of several foreign incursions.[5] The tower was designed by Rafael Pérez del Puerto and was completed in 1799.[6] In 1816, the tower was briefly occupied by Portuguese forces, who had taken control of Maldonado.[7]
The building remains a preserved site by the city of Maldonado.[4]
References
- ↑ "Un día como hoy pero del año 1797 decidieron construir la Torre del Vigía". Diario Correo de Punta del Este. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Torre del Vigía". 365Uruguay. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ Miranda, Julián O. (1912). Maldonado á través de la historia (in Spanish). Montevideo: A. Barreiro y Ramos. p. 15. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- 1 2 Otero, Alicia B.; Massini, Ruben Álvarez (2016). "Patrimonio e historia, las fortificaciones en la Banda Oriental del Uruguay en la confrontación de imperios". Dimensión Antropológica (in Spanish). 67: 19–53. ISSN 1405-776X. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- 1 2 Scasso, Mario (28 June 2023). "La Torre del Vigía – Propuesta de investigación arqueológica" (in Spanish). Diario Correo de Punta del Este. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ "Torre del Vigía: un icono de la historia de Maldonado fue recuperado por la IDM". Maldonado Noticias. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
- ↑ Araújo, Carlos A. Bauzá (2007). "La Isla Gorriti (1816-1828): notícias de su importancia militar, comercial y poblacional en la dominación lusobrasileña". Navigator (in Spanish). 3 (5): 86. ISSN 2763-6267. Retrieved 14 June 2026.