The Viscounty of Cabrera was organised around a network of castles and fortified houses, which served as the seats of the medieval nobility’s political and military power. This defensive system was complemented by several walled towns and watchtowers.
Friars’ Tower owes its name to the building opposite, now Hostalric Town Hall, which formerly housed the monastery of the Minim friars of the Order of Saint Francis of Paola. Built in the 13th century, the tower is the tallest defensive structure in Hostalric, standing thirty-three metres high. It has three storeys, and its original entrance was on the first floor, with no permanent staircase, to make the tower easier to defend. The top was crowned by a magnificent continuous machicolation, some remains of which can still be seen. However, during the Peninsular War, a bombardment in 1810 caused a large section of the upper part of the tower to collapse. Today, all three floors are open to visitors and house a permanent exhibition on medieval Hostalric and the Peninsular War. A lift provides access to the viewing platform on the terrace.
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