The walls of Segovia ( es, Murallas de Segovia) are the remains of the medieval
city walls
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
surrounding
Segovia in
Castile and León
Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain.
It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
The walls of the
Castilian city of Segovia complete a circuit of about in length, with an average height of and an average thickness of . 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
An alcázar, from Arabic ''al-Qasr'', is a type of Islamic castle or palace in the Iberian Peninsula (also known as al-Andalus) built during Muslim rule between the 8th and 15th centuries. They functioned as homes and regional capitals for gover ...
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
The Eresma is a river in central Spain. It flows through Castile and Leon (specifically the provinces of Segovia and Valladolid). It has a total length of 134 km and drains a basin with an area of 2940 km2.
Name
The name of the river ...
, until it reaches the gate of San Cebrián, which has a
crucifix
A crucifix (from Latin ''cruci fixus'' meaning "(one) fixed to a cross") is a cross with an image of Jesus on it, as distinct from a bare cross. The representation of Jesus himself on the cross is referred to in English as the ''corpus'' (Lati ...
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.
References
External links
{{commons category inline, City walls of Segovia
Buildings and structures in Segovia
Segovia