So going over these older posts and having a thrill to do so and of course, thank you for following me along these memorable roads again! I am taking you back to my Madrid, many posts on this sentimental city. I like to revise the text and links, for you and me. I have to say, many of these sights already have a separate post and more pictures in my blog. Therefore, this post will be in my black and white series, no pictures. Therefore, let me tell you about the other puertas/gates of my Madrid !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
On a tranquil Sunday and my puppy Rex already out and done, slight rain cloudy cool humid day I sat to continue the sage of historical Madrid, my beloved Madrid. I will not stop telling you the wonderful experiences as a young men of me living in Madrid for four years and visited zillions more; Madrid in my heart. Let’s talk today about the gates and walls of Madrid, those still visible and those already gone, that made part of this vibrant , on the go city of modern Europe.
There are several other gates to parks or gardens that are worth mentioning me think.
One is the Puerta de Felipe IV that gives entrance to the Retiro Park by the street or Calle Alfonso XII , the gate located in front of the Cason del Buen Retiro (annex to the Prado museum) between Calle de Felipe V and Calle de Felipe IV. It is built in baroque style , and was done in 1680 as an triumphal arch for Mary Louise of Orleans first wife of king Carlos II and again in 1690 for the same reasons to Marianne of Neoburg the second wife of the king. For which there is an inscription on the gate that is also known as. On the site of Madrid tourist office on Retiro park here: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/parque-del-retiro
The other gate is that of Puerta Real which gives entrance to the Royal Botanical garden (Real Jardin Botànico) on the sidewalk of the Paseo del Prado; another designed by Sabatini in the 18C in a classical style, that was officially opened in 1781. It is also known as the Puerta Carlos III, that is part of the enclosure of the Royal Botanical garden. It was done as the principal entrance to the garden but years later lost out to the Puerta de Murillo, in the square of same name and next to the facades of the Prado museum done by architect Juan de Villanueva that gave the final touch to the Royal Botanical Garden. This is now an annex to the Prado. The Puerta Real is closed now. More on the Madrid tourist office on the Botanical garden here: https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/real-jardin-botanico
Now let me take you back in time to another eras of Madrid and its many previous gates, walls and ramparts, a bit of history I like. Let me introduce to you this site in Spanish that I take my inspiration for Madrid and writing about it, and this post. The old historical information was translated from the Spanish by yours truly from the webpage una ventana desde Madrid or a window from Madrid of Lourdes Maria Morales: https://www.unaventanadesdemadrid.com/murallas-cercas-y-puertas-de-madrid.html
The first wall and maybe the foundation of Mayrit (Madrid) we can place it in the 9C when the Emir Mohamed I ordered the construction of a high overlook tower where today sits the Royal Palace. The second wall was built by king Alfonso VII in the 12C and about triple the size of the first one, with about 35 hectares (about 86 acres) and four gates that do not exist today such as the Puerta de Valnadú, Puerta de Guadalajara, Puerta Cerrada ,and Puerta de Moros. Today ,there are still traces of this wall in the following sites.
Calle de los Mancebos. No 3-5 as an old wall a bit damaged. Calle del Almendro no 15-17 with a bout 16 meters long by 11 meters high also damaged in a patio. By the area of Cava Baja you can see the following traces at No 30 19 meters long by 11,5 meters high in an interior patio; No 22 remains of foundation and a circular small tower not visible to the public. No 10 under an stair of a building there is a piece of about 7 meters long and 1-4 meters high with a small semicircular tower and can be seen. At the Plaza de Puerta Cerrada no 4-6 inside private homes there is a piece of the wall to the crowning above.
You have the Arrabal fence or Cerca del Arrabal, probably built in 1438 after a plague epidemy ,which due to it a hospital was built with a fence to unite the suburbs of the city. This hospital was next to the Puerta de Guadalajara and it will be later the Hospital del Buen Suceso that stayed by the Puerta del Sol until 1854 when it was demolished. The Puerta de Santo Domingo, was at the square (Plaza) of same name coming both from the convent of Santo Domingo the Royal founded by Santo Domingo de Guzman in 1212. The side gate or Postigo de San Martin , name after the nearby convent was in the crossing of the streets Calle San Martin and Calle Navas de Tolosa; later moved to the now Plaza de Callao. The Puerta de Atocha was actually in the now Plaza de Jacinto Benavente. The side gate or Postigo de San Millàn named after the Chapel that was in what is today the Plaza de Cascorro. The Puerta de La Latina in the Calle de Toledo in front of the Plaza de la Cebada, initially called the Puerta de San Francisco to take you to the convent of the same name in what is today the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande, and later the neighborhood of La Latina with a hospital nearby with the same name. The Puerta de Moros with a Christian wall, and the Puerta de la Vega which survived the Arab wall.
The fence of Philip II or Cerca de Felipe II in the Calle Bailén. In 1566, king Felipe II ordered built a new fence for fiscal and sanitary reasons, not defensive. It took about 125 hectares ( about 309 acres) and that was unknown until found in 1991,while doing expansion work on the Spanish Senate building in the Calle Bailén which by some experts should belong to the previously mentioned Cerca del Arrabal , and for others that of Cerca de Felipe II. The Puerta de Santo Domingo on the Cerca del Arrabal , postigo de San Martin as the previously mentioned too. The Puerta de la Red de San Luis next to the roads to Hortaleza and Fuencarral , takes the name from a network of a bread market so it won’t be stolen and the Church of San Luis Obispo, located in the Calle Montera; no longer in existance. The Puerta de Anton Martin located in the square of the same name, took the name from the Hospital of San Juan de Dios, better known by the name of the founder Antón Martín. The Puerta de la Vega, on the old Arab wall was replaced in 1708, and finally demolished in 1814.
The fence of Philip IV or Cerca de Felipe IV was ordered by the king to be built in 1625 with bricks and dirt. The construction was motivated by fiscal and vigilance motives as it was not a defensive wall; what was looking is to tax all products entering the city as well as look after the persons entering the city. The Ronda de Segovia with about 500 hectares ( 1236 acres) that is about the current districts of Centro, Retiro park, and Jeronimos neighborhood. It stood there limiting the growth of the city until 1868. The only remains that have reach our days is in the current Ronda de Segovia. The narrow pass or Portillo de San Bernardino, called initially as San Joaquín for the nearby convent of the same name on the Calle Princesa, facing the Calle del Rey Fernando. Later was change to San Bernardino for another nearby convent of the same name that was moved to the Calle de Quintana. demolished in 1868. The narrow pass or Portillo del Conde Duque at the intersection of Calle Amaniel and Calle Conde Duque . The name comes from the nearby Palace of or Palacio del Conde-Duque (where today you see the Palacio de Liria, and HQ of the Conde-Duque cultural center). It was also called the Portillo de los Guardias, for being of the body guards, and was demolished in 1868.
The Portillo de Fuencarral, name as is even if the true name was that of Portillo de Santo Domingo. Located in the calle de San Bernardo, by the level of calle de Santa Cruz de Marcenado. Built in 1642 , and demolished in 1867. The Portillo de las Maravillas, given the name from the nearby convent of Maravillas, that was situated at the intersection of Calle de Ruiz, and Calle del Divino Pastor. The Puerta de Bilbao, known initially as the Puerta de los Pozos de la Nieve (gate of the snow wells) for been nearby ; built in 1625 by the level of Calle Fuencarral and Calle del Divino Pastor to be moved in 1690 to the north in the current Glorieta de Bilbao. Later, it was named Puerta de San Fernando until 1837 it was adopted with the name of Puerta de Bilbao in memory of that city and its defenders. It had a panel that can be read “A los heroicos defensores y libertados de la invicta villa de Bilbao, los habitantes de Madrid”, or to the heroic defenders and liberators of the undefeated city of Bilbao, by the people of Madrid. The Portillo de Santa Bárbara, located in the square of same name at the end of Calle Hortaleza. Both adopted the name of the nearby convent of Santa Bárbara.
The Portillo de Recoletos, located first in front of the National Library or Biblioteca Nacional on the Paseo de Recoletos , and later change in 1756, when king Fernando VI built the fence or cerca de las Salesas Reales, by a new gate that was considered the best of the existing ones until that of Puerta de Alcalá was built. IT was dismantled in 1863 to be moved to another location but later abandoned, damage and in bad shape so never rebuilt and the parts used for other constructions. The Portillo de Valencia, aka as Puerta de Lavapiés located at the beginning of Calle Lavapies that today is call Calle Valencia facing the Calle Doctor Fourquet. In 1778, a new side gate was built that takes the name of Portillo de Valencia for being in the beginning of the road to Levante; later demolished in 1868.
The Portillo de Embajadores from the 17C ,and in 1782 when the Ronda de Toledo was built ,its position was advance until the current Glorieta de Embajadores and as in the previous one , was demolished in 1868. The Portillo del Campanillo del Mundo Nuevo built in 1856 to avoid that the way of the cattle as it entered the city to the slaughterhouse of the Plaza del General Vara de Rey. The Portillo de Gilimon, located at the end of the Calle San Bernabé, the Portillo de las Vistillas name for the views you can have from it; the Puerta de Segovia built by the middle of the 17C near the Puente de Segovia (bridge) from which it took the name of Puerta del Puente; demolished in 1849 and re built the following year until finally demolished for good in 1868.
The Puerta de la Vega, originally demolished and rebuilt a new one in 1708 that was as well demolished in 1830 and replaced by a side gate or Portillo in wood until determine what to do. Finally, demolished in 1850 and change the lands into a series of ramps that we still have today. Here ,it is worth mentioning the story of the Virgin of Almudena or Virgen de la Almudena ,that according to tradition was hidden since the Arab occupation in 712 until the conquest of the city by king Alfonso VI in 1085. The image of the Virgin was found in a bucket at the Puerta de la Vega and once fallen a second time the Virgin was place in a niche on the ramp or Cuesta de la Vega. The one you see there today was done in 1941.
There, I hope you like as I do the fascinating stories of gates or puertas and especially the ones in my beloved Madrid. Or as the old saying says, From Madrid to heaven and a hole in the sky to look down on it everyday! yes!!! Again, hope you enjoy this post on the other puertas/gates of my Madrid as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 