Leaning Tower of Zaragoza
Tower in Aragon, Spain

The Leaning Tower of Zaragoza, sometimes called by its Spanish name, Torre Nueva (New Tower), was a Mudéjar leaning tower located in current Plaza de San Felipe, in Zaragoza (in Aragon, Spain).
Over the years, the tower became an icon for the city. It was also the highest Mudéjar-style tower ever built (80 m (260 ft)) in 1504. It had a diameter of 11.5 m (38 ft) and a ground plan in the shape of a 16-pointed star.
Built in the 16th century as a clock tower, it was built in brick in Mudéjar style by master builders Christians Gabriel Gombao and Antón Sariñena, Muslims Ismael Allabar and Monferriz, and Jew Juce Galí. Shortly after being built, its inclination could be noted, although it was said that there was no danger to its stability. In 1892, Zaragoza's city council decided to demolish the tower, justifying the decision with the inclination and probable ruin. The decision was opposed by many intellectuals and part of the population. After the tower's demolition, citizens bought bricks as souvenirs.
Description
The tower was built in 1504 during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs.
“Leaning Tower of Zaragoza” enters the record as tower in Aragon, Spain. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Leaning, Tower and Zaragoza can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Leaning Tower of Zaragoza” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Leaning, Tower and Zaragoza provides the most credible route into that argument.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6509815. VIAF identifies the subject as 243197825. Authority coordinates are 41.655, -0.882. 1 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1504 and 1892.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Leaning Tower of Zaragoza”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Leaning Tower of Zaragoza primary sources, Leaning Tower of Zaragoza archive and Leaning research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Leaning Tower of Zaragoza”?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Leaning Tower of Zaragoza” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.