The Torre Monreal is a tower, traditionally considered of Arab origin, located on a hill to the southwest of the city of Tudela.
It probably dates from when Amrùs walled Tudela in the year 802. However, there is no documents before the thirteenth century. In 1343 the ramparts and battlements of the tower were repaired, as they were demolished in the severe storms and floods that occurred in previous years. After the Castilian conquest of the Kingdom of Navarre at the beginning of the 16th century and the dismantling of the walls and defenses of Tudela (especially from 1521), the Torre Monreal lost its defensive character, being enabled for other purposes.
The Torre Monreal has been subsequently rebuilt on various occasions. It served as a fortress for the French after the invasion of Spain and Navarre, and was demolished by Espoz and Mina in 1813 , at the end of the War of Independence. It was rebuilt in 1883 , for the defense of the city during the Carlist Wars. The current octagonal brick construction is, therefore, from the Carlist period.
References:The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.
The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.