Philatelic Photograph: Torre de Reloj (Clock Tower) - Cartagena, Colombia

Torre de Reloj

(Clock Tower)

Cartagena, Colombia

N 10° 25.385 W 075° 32.945

Short Description: 

The Clock Tower (Torre de Reloj) is Cartagena's signature landmark. It is the southeast gateway entrance into the old walled city of Cartagena and separates the Plaza de la Paz on the outside from the Plaza de Los Coches on the inside.



Long Description:

The eight-sided yellow Clock Tower (Torre de Reloj) is built above the main city gate. The Clock Tower was once the main gateway into the walled city of Cartagena. It was known as Boca del Puente (The Mouth of the Bridge) because is linked the Getsemani neighborhood of Cartagena to the old walled city by means of a drawbridge over a moat. Construction on the tower begun in 1601 and by 1631 the walls surrounding the city were complete.

In 1697 the tower was partially destroyed and then repaired in 1704 by incorporating a Baroque facade and four Tuscan arches. The first four-sided clock was installed in 1874. In 1888 architect Luis Philip Jaspe Franco designed the eight sided Gothic clock tower to showcase the four-sided clock faces. The present Swiss-built clocks replaced the original clocks in 1937.

Each face of the clock has the hours expressed in Roman numerals. The numerals and hands are fabricated out of metal and recessed in a circular niche against a while background surrounded by a side of the yellow tower. The sides without a clock have Gothic louvered windows installed.

The stamp was issued by Colombia as a single pictorial stamp showing the most famous landmark of Cartagena.