Description

The house of the Tower or house of the Cardenas and Valdivia is located in the Maestra street. It was probably built in the times of Don Cristobal Cardenas and Mrs. Teresa Valdivia at the end of the first half of the 16th century and of which only the Mirador Tower persists today, as its Renaissance patio and other buildings disappeared in a not too distant date. In 1987 it became the property of the City Council. Today, once restored, hosts the Department of Environment and Youth.

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The tower is arranged in chamfer so that its cover, in the central body, obtains a complete visualization that the width of the street would deny otherwise, a flat facade would make the view slide and the construction would lack the protagonism that demands the spectator who approaches her from Calle Alferez Moreno.

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Built in mud and brick, this last material reserved for the corners as a reinforcement element. The observation tower is organized in three floors of unequal size and individualized by cornices. In the first, the door in stone, with vain lintel. Between cornices, an entablature with an overdeveloped frieze. The balcony, which takes advantage of the ledge cornice as cantilever, has triangular pediment with medallion inside. It is topped with the Cardenas coat of arms on cut-out leather, stamped with a helmet and the cross of Santiago. On its right flank, the lineage of the Cardenas carried by toga children and the cross of Calatrava. On the left, the lineage of the Valdivia. The viewpoint is brick and has a semicircular arch on each of its fronts.

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The Cardenas lineage is mainly related to the cities of Cordoba, Baeza and Andujar (1). In our city the first reference you have of this influential family goes back to Juan de Cardenas, who lived in the second half of the 15th century, from which the Cadenas de Andujar came. He led in Andujar the side that bet on the cause of Prince Don Alfonso in the fight against Enrique IV, whose interests were defended in our city by Pedro de Escavias, closely linked to the Constable Miguel Lucas de Iranzo. The lineages of the Cardenas side will end up becoming related in the following generations through marriage: Cardenas, Palomino, Serrano, Valdivia will be linked by ties of consanguinity and will be the promoters of some of the most significant buildings of our heritage, such as the house of the Cardenas Valdivia.

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Association of Friends of the Patrimony of Andujar