Once part of a larger medieval fortification, the Torreón de Pinto is a 14th-century tower with a dark past.
Far from being a mere fortification, it served as a prison for members of the Spanish nobility — most notably the enigmatic Princess of Éboli and the royal secretary Antonio Pérez, both entangled in the deadly intrigues of Philip II’s court.
Beneath the tower, a gloomy cellar reportedly doubled as a torture chamber.
Today, the tower stands in the heart of Pinto, Madrid, and each spring it becomes the centerpiece of the town’s Renaissance Festival, where a lively parade reenacts the princess’s dramatic imprisonment.
