Torre Medieval de Martiartu

Spain, Spain

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Torre Medieval de Martiartu is a well-preserved defensive and residential tower house located on the lower slopes of Monte Umbe in Erandio, Biscay province, Basque Country, Spain, dominating the Udondo river valley.

Originally built in the late 14th or early 15th century by Martín Ortiz de Martiartu—destroyed in 1472 by rival Ochoa Ortíz de Gueches and rebuilt around 1516 by Diego Pérez de Martiartu—it features robust stone construction with arrow slits, a pointed arch entrance on the first floor, machicolations, angular turrets, and Gothic residential elements on upper levels.

Acquired by Bilbao City Council in 1948 and restored in the early 1950s, the currently empty tower stands as a prime example of Biscayan medieval palatial architecture amid hiking trails, classified as a Historic Monument.