Walls of Madrid

{{main|Muslim Walls of Madrid}}

File:Almudena_Cathedral_in_Madrid_Spain.png]]

The Muslim Walls of Madrid, of which some vestiges remain, are probably the oldest construction in the city. The walls were built in the 9th century, during the period of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula. They were part of a fortress around which developed the urban nucleus of Madrid and started on a promontory next to the Manzanares river.{{sfn|Fraguas|1999 |p=}} To defend the almudaina or Muslim citadel of Mayrit, Umayyad Emir of Cordoba Muhammad I ordered the walls to be built between the years 860 and 880{{sfn|Montero Vallejo |2007 |p=88}} near the site currently occupied by the Royal Palace.{{sfn|Fernández Ugalde |1988 |p=26 }} According to historian Jerónimo de Quintana, the walls were "very strong of masonry and mortar, raised and thick, twelve feet [almost three and half meters] in width, with large cubes, towers gatehouses and moats."{{Cite web |title=First Enclosure: Muslim Walls |url=http://elmadridmedieval.jmcastellanos.com/Pagina%20Urbanismo/Muralla%20musulmana.htm |url-status=dead |website=Medieval Madrid |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419230528/http://elmadridmedieval.jmcastellanos.com/Pagina%20Urbanismo/Muralla%20musulmana.htm |archivedate=2009-04-19 |accessdate=2016-12-30}}

Ruins of the walls still stand along the Calle Mayor street, at number 83, next to the viaduct that serves the Calle de Segovia, along with the ruins of the Tower of Narigües, which probably would have been an albarrana tower.{{Cite book |last=Mesonero Romanos |first=Ramón de |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JSJMNJ-uUksC |title=El antiguo Madrid: Paseos histórico-anecdóticos por las calles y casas de esta villa |year=1861 |edition=Primera Edición |location=Madrid |page=ii |language=es |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326020841/https://books.google.com/books?id=JSJMNJ-uUksC |url-status=live }} A {{cvt|70|m|ft}} long section exists under the Plaza de la Armería, formed by the main façades of the Royal Palace and Almudena Cathedral.{{Cite book |last=Burton |first=Peter |url=http://www.castlestudiesgroup.org.uk/Iberian%20Castles%20-%20Peter%20Burton.pdf |title=Islamic Castles in Iberia |work=The Castle Studies Group Journal |year=2007–2008 |volume=21 |pages=228–244 |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=27 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127205437/http://www.castlestudiesgroup.org.uk/Iberian%20Castles%20-%20Peter%20Burton.pdf |url-status=live }}

The Muslim walls were declared an Artistic-Historic Monument in 1954.{{sfn|Fraguas|1999 |p=}}

File:Muralla cristiana de Madrid.jpg in 1562, where the Christian Walls of Madrid, near the gate Puerta de la Vega (left) to the gate Puerta de Moros, in the current Plaza del Humilladero is at the right.]]

{{main|Christian Walls of Madrid}}

The Christian Walls of Madrid, also known as the Medieval Walls, were built between the 11th and 12th centuries, after the Reconquista. They were built as an extension of the original Muslim Walls to accommodate the new districts that emerged after the city passed to the Crown of Castile. Tradition attributes construction to King Alfonso VII of León and Castile (1126–1157) although it is assumed that work began before his reign, during the reign of Alfonso VI of León and Castile (1040–1109).{{Cite book |last1=Gea Ortigas |first1=María Isabel |title=Muslim, Jewish and Christian Madrid. The Medieval Walls of Madrid |last2=Castellanos Oñate |first2=José Manuel |publisher=La Librería |year=2008 |isbn=978-84-95889-93-5 |location=Madrid, Spain}}

When Philip II moved his court to Madrid from Valladolid in 1561, the walls fell into disuse and were almost entirely demolished. Some of the walls are integrated into the structure of various buildings of El Madrid de los Austrias, the Habsburgs's historic center of the city.

The remains that are still standing were declared a Historical and Artistic Monument in 1954.{{sfn|Fraguas|1999 |p=}}

{{main|Walls del Arrabal}}

File:1924-10-18,_La_Esfera,_Madrid_viejo,_Apuntes_sobre_el_carácter,_Luis_Bello,_Sancha,_01_(cropped)_La_iglesia_de_San_Ginés,_desde_la_calle_de_Bordadores.jpg]]

The Walls del Arrabal (walls of the suburb) were the third set of walls, an expansion of the Christian Walls, built around Madrid, by now the capital of Spain. There are no remaining traces of the walls, leaving some question as to their extent and the period of their construction. It is possible that the walls were built as early as the 12th century, however they were most likely constructed around 1438. The walls may have been intended to protect the population against the plagues that ravaged Spain at the time.{{Cite web |date=2014-07-01 |title=La Cerca del Arrabal. Un paseo por el siglo XV |url=https://artedemadrid.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/la-cerca-del-arrabal-un-paseo-por-el-siglo-xv |website=Arte de Madrid |language=es |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326012941/https://artedemadrid.wordpress.com/2014/07/01/la-cerca-del-arrabal-un-paseo-por-el-siglo-xv/ |url-status=live }} The walls integrated the suburbs with the city and prevented entry of the infected.{{Cite journal |last=Álvarez-Nogal |first=Carlos |date=2020-11-16 |title=Economic effects of the Black Death: Spain in European perspective {{!}} Investigaciones de Historia Económica |url=https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/IHE/article/view/86097 |journal=Investigaciones de Historia Económica |language=es-ES |pages=35–48 |doi=10.33231/j.ihe.2020.10.001 |doi-access=free |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=26 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220326014903/https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/IHE/article/view/86097 |url-status=live |hdl=10016/36660 |hdl-access=free }}

After the construction of the Medieval Walls, the city continued to grow eastward, with the population increasing from 5,000 to 12,000 inhabitants from the mid-15th to early 16th century. The suburbs, or arrabales, took their names from convents, hermitages and churches constructed outside the Muslim Walls in the 12th century.{{Cite news |last=Fraguas |first=Rafael |date=2009-05-06 |title=Las obras de Serrano destapan la cerca de Felipe IV |language=es |work=ABC |url=http://elpais.com/diario/2009/05/06/madrid/1241609060_850215.html |access-date=2016-05-29 |archive-date=29 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329134338/https://elpais.com/diario/2009/05/06/madrid/1241609060_850215.html |url-status=live }} The first of these, known from 1126, was the Arrabal of Saint Martin corresponding to the {{ill|Convent of San Martín|es|Convento de San Martín}}, followed by that of San Ginés by the Church of San Ginés de Arlés.{{Cite book |last=Urgorri |first=Fernando |title=Ensanche de Madrid en Tiempos de Juan II y Enrique IV |language=es}}

The walls started from the gate Puerta Cerrada. They surrounded Calle Concepción Jerónima, Conde de Romanones, Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, Calle Carretas, Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, Calle Preciados or Carmen, Plaza de Santo Domingo, Cuesta de Santo Domingo and Plaza de Isabel II. Later, around 1520, the southern part of the wall was extended to enclose more of the city, starting from the Puerta de Moros, following the present streets San Millán, Duque de Alba, Plaza de Tirso de Molina, and Calle Conde Romanones, and continuing with the original course of the mid-15th century.{{Cite book |last=Répide |first=Pedro de |title=Las calles de Madrid |publisher=La Libería |year=1995 |pages=330–333 |language=es |author-link=Pedro de Répide}}

{{main|Walls of Philip II}}

File:Restos_arqueologicos_de_la_Cerca_de_Fellipe_II,_pero_......._en_donde_%3F%3F%3F_(8649721149).jpg

The Walls of Philip II were constructed by Philip II, in 1566, for fiscal and sanitary control. The walls enclosed an area approximately {{cvt|125|hectare}} in area.{{Cite web |title=Fondo cartográfico de la Biblioteca Nacional de España |trans-title=Cartographic collection of the National Library of Spain |url=http://bdh.bne.es/bnesearch/detalle/1860548 |language=es |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=19 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191219193625/http://bdh.bne.es/bnesearch/detalle/1860548 |url-status=live }}

The walls started from the end of the Christian Walls to the current Calle Segovia, and continued through the streets of las Aguas, Águila, Calatrava, Santa Ana, Juanelo, Cabeza, Magdalena, between the Plaza de Matute y the Calle León, by the streets Echegaray, Cedaceros, Arlabán, Virgen de los Peligros, Aduana, Montera, Gran Vía, joining to the Walls del Arrabal in the Plaza del Callao.{{Cite web |title=Murallas, cercas y puertas de Madrid" Una Ventana desde Madrid |url=http://www.unaventanadesdemadrid.com/murallas-cercas-y-puertas-de-madrid.html#cercafelipeii |language=es |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=3 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220303210917/https://www.unaventanadesdemadrid.com/murallas-cercas-y-puertas-de-madrid.html#cercafelipeii |url-status=live }}

Remains of these walls are found in Calle de Bailén next to the extension of the Palacio del Senado.{{sfn|del Amo Horga|2002|p=}}

{{main|Walls of Philip IV}}

File:Madrid - Plano de 1762.jpg

The Walls of Felipe IV were built around the city of Madrid between 1625 and 1868.{{Cite news |first=Adrián |last=Delgado |date=2012-03-10 |title=Objetivo: salvar la Real Cerca de Felipe IV |trans-title=Goal: to save the Real Cerca de Felipe IV |url=https://www.abc.es/20120310/local-madrid/abci-objetivo-salvar-real-cerca-201203091754.html |publisher=ABC |language=es |accessdate=2013-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313021054/https://www.abc.es/20120310/local-madrid/abci-objetivo-salvar-real-cerca-201203091754.html |archive-date=13 March 2012 |url-status=dead}} Philip IV ordered their construction to replace the earlier Walls of Philip II and the Walls del Arrabal, which had already been surpassed by the growth of population of Madrid. These were not defensive walls, but essentially served fiscal and surveillance purposes: to control the access of goods to the city, ensure the collection of taxes, and to monitor who went in and out of Madrid. The materials used for construction were brick, mortar and compacted earth.{{Cite web |date=2014-09-22 |title=Un Madrid con Horarios |url=http://www.secretosdemadrid.es/un-madrid-con-horarios |website=Secretos de Madrid |language=es |access-date=26 March 2022 |archive-date=1 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701134437/http://www.secretosdemadrid.es/un-madrid-con-horarios/ |url-status=live }}

The walls began from the current Cuesta de la Vega, continuing via the Rondas of Segovia, Toledo, Valencia and Atocha, plaza del Emperador Carlos V, the avenues of Ciudad de Barcelona and Menéndez Pelayo, Calle de Alcalá, plaza de la Independencia, the streets of Serrano, Jorge Juan, plaza de Colón, Génova, Sagasta, Carranza, and then turning left in San Bernardo going by Santa Cruz de Marcenado, Serrano Jover, la Princesa, Ventura Rodríguez, Ferraz, Cuesta de San Vicente, Paseo de la Virgen del Puerto and running alongside the Campo del Moro, until finally linking again with Cuesta de la Vega.

The route of the wall was adapted to the configuration of the terrain, which made it very irregular. By 1650 it covered the Mountain del Príncipe Pío, the Buen Retiro and the Hermitage of Atocha. It prevented the city's growth, thereby keeping its population in overcrowded conditions for over two hundred years.{{Cite web |last=Adrián Delgado |date=2012-03-10 |title=Goal: to save the Real Cerca de Felipe IV |url=http://www.abc.es/20120310/local-madrid/abci-objetivo-salvar-real-cerca-201203091754.html |publisher=ABC |language=es |accessdate=2013-07-08 |archive-date=18 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618013657/http://www.abc.es/20120310/local-madrid/abci-objetivo-salvar-real-cerca-201203091754.html |url-status=live }}

• Defensive wall

{{reflist}}

• {{Cite book |last=del Amo Horga |first=Luz María |url=http://biblioteca.ucm.es/tesis/ghi/ucm-t26467.PDF |title=Cercas, puertas y portillos de Madrid, (S.XVI-XIX) |publisher=Universidad Complutense |year=2002 |access-date=2016-05-29}}
• {{Cite book |last1=Fernández Ugalde |first1=A. |title=Las murallas de Madrid. Arqueología medieval urbana |last2=Marín Perellón |first2=F. J. |last3=Mena Muñoz |first3=P. |last4=Serrano Herrero |first4=E |publisher=Comunidad de Madrid, Dirección General de Patrimonio Cultural |year=1998 |edition=1st |location=Madrid |language=es |ref={{harvid|Fernández Ugalde|1988 }}}}
• {{Cite web |last=Fraguas |first=Rafael |date=1999-09-21 |title=Descubiertos los Supuestos Restos del Acceso a la Ciudadela |trans-title=The Likely Remains of the Access to the Citadel are discovered |url=http://www.nova.es/~jlb/mad_e251.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000620171403/http://www.nova.es/~jlb/mad_e251.htm |archive-date=2000-06-20 |website=El País newspaper |publisher=nova.es |language=es}}
• {{Cite book |last=Montero Vallejo |first=M. |title=Madrid musulmán |work=Historia de Madrid |publisher=Instituto de Estudios Madrileños |year=2007 |editor-last=Fernández García |editor-first=A. |edition=3ª |location=Madrid |pages=88–92 |language=es}}

• {{commons category-inline|City walls in Madrid}}
• {{Cite web |date=2012-11-11 |title=Madrid {{!}} Las cercas del arrabal, Felipe II y Felipe IV |url=http://fvelax.blogspot.com/2012/11/madrid-las-cercas-del-arrabal-felipe-ii.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311144031/http://fvelax.blogspot.com/2012/11/madrid-las-cercas-del-arrabal-felipe-ii.html |archive-date=2016-03-11 |website=fvelax.com |language=es}}
• {{Cite web |date=2009-09-11 |title=Felipe II y el paisaje urbano de Madrid (II y fin) |trans-title=Philip II and the urban landscape of Madrid (II y fin) |url=http://paisajesurbanosmatritenses.blogspot.com/2009/09/felipe-ii-y-el-paisaje-urbano-de-madrid_11.html |website=Paisajes urbanos matritenses |language=es}}

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{{Demolished landmarks in Madrid}}

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Category:Military history of Madrid

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Category:Lists of buildings and structures in Spain

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