This week I’ve been exploring Cádiz in southern Spain and came upon this isolated ruin. A bit of research revealed its name as Castilnovo Tower, built in the 13th century by Guzmán el Bueno as part of a defence system against the Moorish invasions. Beacons would be lit atop the towers spanning the coast to forewarn the population of the coming threat. Beyond lies the Strait of Gibraltar across which (a mere 9 miles at its narrowest) sits the north coast of Africa. The Moors invaded and ruled in over half of Spain (they never conquered the north) for almost 800 years. Even today, particularly in the south, the Moorish influence is evident in music, language and architecture. Funnily enough the tower wasn’t destroyed in the invasions but by a tsunami in 1755.
Guy Gavriel Kay’s fantastic Lions of Al-Rassan was evocative of this period in medieval Spain, and GRRM has talked about the influence of historic events on his work (Wars of the Roses, Glencoe Massacre and Hadrian’s Wall, for example).
Are your books influenced by history or geography? What do you think of blurring the line between the two?
