Murallas de Segovia

City Gate and City Walls in Segovia

Segovia City Walls — pixabay / cascalheira

The Murallas de Segovia or walls of Segovia are the remains of the medieval city walls surrounding Segovia in Castile and León, Spain. Walking along the ramparts is one of the best ways to view the city’s monuments. Inside the former guards’ headquarters, tourists can see the walls that defended the upper areas of the city. The ramparts feature characteristic crenulations, blind arches, towers, and entrance gates with horseshoe arches.

The walls of the Castilian city of Segovia complete a circuit of about 2,250 metres (7,380 ft) in length, with an average height of 9 metres (30 ft) and an average thickness of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in). They are built out of many different materials, with some parts of great antiquity, although most date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, which major renovations in subsequent centuries. From the Alcázar to the gate of Santiago, there are two circular towers and a rectangular one. The Puerta de Santiago, which has a rectangular plan, has a horseshoe arch. The wall continues to the north of the city’s historic centre, dominating the Eresma River, until it reaches the gate of San Cebrián, which has a crucifix at its entrance.

From this point the wall, raised on rock, continues in an easterly direction until the former San Juan gate. This was an ornamental arch built in the 16th century, and it was demolished in 1888 due to urban needs. The wall continues to the south and then to the west, in a section that included the Postigo del Consuelo, the Portillo de la Canaleja and the gates of San Martín, la Luna and del Sol. Continuing towards the west, one arrives at the Puerta de San Andrés, which has a square and a polygonal tower. From there the wall continues to close its perimeter at the Alcázar.

The Murallas de Segovia appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Segovia!

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