Marta Pilar
A unique tourism spot
This tower was an old water tank of Alto de Santa María, built in June 1931, and which had been abandoned. It was adapted and turned into a tourist spot upon the installation of a camera obscura in 2004. This camera has a very simple principle, consisting of an optical mirror and two fixed magnification lenses, placed at the end of a tube located in a cavity at the top and outside of the tank, just like a periscope. This set-up captures vivid images and sends them into the Tower. It's a journey done in total darkness on a parabolic plane two meters in diameter and reflects, in real-time, everything that happens outside the old water tank.
They say that it is the optical Photo principle that was used by Leonardo Da Vinci. The visit to this unique tourist spot lasts half an hour, costs three euros, and includes a history lesson available to be listened to in multiple languages.
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