Reconstructing the Castle of Alcantarilla, Utrera, Seville, from the 1864 drawings of John Gardner Wilkinson (1797-1875)

Abstract

The Castle of Alcantarilla, also known as la Alcantarilla de Alocaz, or even Diego Corrientes after the eighteenth century bandit, is not in fact a castle but a Roman bridge fortified with two towers in the later Middle Ages. While the south tower survives in a lamentably degraded condition, the north tower has been entirely razed. Its history is well-studied by Fernando Bejines Rodríguez, and its general appearance is known from sixteenth and nineteenth century prints. Therefore, in light of this, what is presented here is new research that permits the reconstruction of the Medieval towers, informed by sketches by John Gardner Wilkinson from 1864, which also reveal previously unknown details. This is supported by accounts of other earlier British travellers. An architectural section through both towers is offered as a tool of inquiry to advance the understanding of their internal arrangement.

Keywords

• spanish medieval architecture
• nineteenth century travellers
• sketchbooks
• travel journals