Torre Tavira – viewpoint and Cámara Oscura

We climb up one of the many towers in Cádiz, step by step. The Torre Tavira is certainly the most famous tower in the city and should not be missed on any sightseeing programme in the city.

If you look at Cadiz from a bird’s eye view, you will notice that many houses have small towers. The wealthier merchant families in particular had these towers built on top of their houses. Not to create a cosy living space up there. From there, they could look out over the sea and spot incoming ships in good time. In times without mobile phones, telephones, radios or other ways of informing someone of an arrival, this was the best way to know when the much sought-after goods would arrive.

Today, the tower is owned by the city and can be visited. A staircase leads up to exhibition platforms that deal with the city and its history and the actual highlight of the Cámara Oscura tower. There is also a viewing platform on the tower. The highlight of the Torre Tavira, the Cámara Oscura, has only been on the tower since 1994.

Visit to the viewing platform

You have to climb a few steps until you reach the area where you can buy tickets. It is advisable to buy a ticket in advance, especially in the high season. There are guided tours (also in German and English) with a limited number of places for the Cámara Oscura demonstration.

At the beginning of the timeslot, you can go up to the viewing platform on your own. From there, you will then be picked up for the Cámara Oscura demonstration.

After 172 steps, which finally turn into a very narrow and steep spiral staircase, you reach the roof. From the roof of the tower, you have an excellent 360-degree view over the city. The sea is somewhat hidden behind the houses. What immediately struck me from up there was how densely built-up the city is. The narrow alleyways of the old town suddenly no longer seem so winding (that’s how I felt when I was walking around), but I realise that many of the streets are laid out in straight lines. This allows the fresh sea air to permeate the city centre.

I find the cathedral of Cádiz particularly impressive. It was only from the tower that I could really appreciate the dimensions of this church. The numerous towers on the houses also stand out particularly well from up there.

The view is truly unique and it’s really worth climbing up there.

What I hardly noticed during my visit to the roof was the chimney-like box. This later turned out to be part of the Cámara Oscura.

What is a Cámara Oscura?

I was particularly excited about the Cámara Oscura. I couldn’t really imagine what it was like.

We first went into a completely darkened room in which a round screen stood like a table in the centre of the room. Once everyone had found their seats, a 15-minute performance began. Unfortunately, it is not permitted to take photographs in this room, but this would not have been easy due to the lighting conditions required.

To put it simply, the Cámara Oscura is an optical device that uses light to “paint” images onto a white background. I was able to find out exactly how it works on one of the numerous display boards.

Small review

The technique is very old and was already known in Arabic science in the 10th century. At that time, attempts were made to explain the formation of the image in the eye with the help of how the cámara works.

In the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was one of the scientists who returned to the subject. He researched and further developed the technique, for example by inserting a lens to produce a sharper image.

Around 1558, Giovanni Della Porta published a book explaining the principle of the Cámara Oscura in a simple and understandable way. This was translated into numerous languages, which is why he is often wrongly labelled as the inventor.

Robert Hooke began to further develop the principle of the Cámara Oscura in the 17th century. For example, he produced portable devices that were used to explore the topography. Later, painters are also said to have used the device to create realistic paintings.

The construction of the Cámara Oscura is also considered to be the forerunner of cameras. It is known that the inventor of photography, Nicéphore Niepce, owned a Cámara Oscura with an inbuilt lens.

What do you experience during the visit?

We stand around the screen in the room, which is painted completely black. There is an opening in the ceiling. A revolving box rises above it, out of sight, in which lenses and mirrors transport the captured light / image downwards and make it visible on the screen.

We see Cádiz from above on the screen. It’s almost like a 360-degree camera that shows us everything in real time.

Now we go on a journey of discovery with the help of the employee operating the device. He can change the screen as if he were zooming in on an object. He adjusts the focus and rotates the viewing angles. I wonder whether people realise that we can watch them? The woman hanging out the washing on the roof terrace? The man on his way to the market? The group of tourists hurrying after the guide? We can see so many details that I am already thinking about how I will walk through the city in future. The only thing missing is the “pin on the head”, which reveals details about the person, as is the case with computer games, for example.

The movements that show a change in the image are shown very quickly due to the short time. A little too fast for my sensory perception. I was glad to be able to hold on to a railing as I was getting a bit dizzy. Nevertheless, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss a minute of the experience. It was really exciting to discover the city in a completely new way.

Address:

C. Marqués del Real Tesoro, 10,
11001 Cádiz, Spanien

Website

Opening hours:

October – April: 10 am – 6 pm
May – September: 10 am – 8 pm.

The last entrance to the tower is one hour before closing time.

Closed: 25 December, 1 January and 6 January.

Admission prices:

Adults: 7,-€

Discounts are offered.

Good to know

The visit to Torre Tavira was organised with the support of Cádiz Toursimus.Cádiz Toursimus.