There are growing fears over the safety of the ancient tower in the old city wall of Silves after a landslide of heavy stones crashed at night onto the roof of a property below, causing panic to the inhabitants and concern among neighbours.
The Moorish wall of the town, in which the tower is integrated, comes under the jurisdiction of the State and is in the process of being classified as a National Monument.
As a result of the landslide, residents living below the wall have alerted the local municipal authority to the risk of further dangers.
The Silves authority has accordingly informed the Direcção Regional de Cultura (DRC) of the Algarve of the situation and suggested that it might be necessary to relocate the residents affected to safer housing. Rui Parreira from the DRC said that a €70 million investment project to consolidate the condition of the monument and wall was in the pipeline.
