This is the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid, curiosities of its history

It is one of the great icon monuments of Madrid and a essential visit on a tourist trip to the capital.

La Puerta de Alcalá, Indeed, it is one of the images that you surely have in mind of the capital of Spain, and currently it has become one of the most visited tourist spots.

Its central location in front of the main entrance of the Retirement park y near the Plaza de Cibeles makes your first tourist trip to Madrid It will be incomplete and if you don't take a photo in front of the Puerta de Alcalá.

Curiosities history Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid

From a historical point of view, the Puerta de Alcalá It is one of the five great doors that the Madrid since the 16th century.

Since the origins of Madrid, in the time of the Muslims, when the city was just a citadel surrounded by a small walled town in which the current Plaza Mayor It was a suburb that marked its outer limit, the current capital grew in successive phases.

It was the arrival of court, with Felipe II, in 1561, when the great urban expansion of what until then was a very small city took place.

When was the Puerta de Alcalá built and who was the architect

El monument of the Puerta de Alcalá that you can now see was built in 1778 to replace another previous door, at the time of the king Carlos III, with the design of the Italian architect Francesco Sabati en neoclassical.

At the aforementioned main gates, and in the numerous small portholes that were in the wall, was where taxes were collected.

Carlos III He ordered the construction of the new gate, as part of his urban improvement plans for the capital, after arriving there to succeed his brother. Ferdinand VI in the throne.

Over the years, the Puerta de Alcalá became a monumental place and celebration site.

It also suffered damage from the actions of the One Hundred Thousand Sons of San Luis in his defense of king Ferdinand VII, or during the Civil War, which can still be seen in the monument.

And even in current times, he has continued to be an icon, even starring in a famous song from the 90s by Ana Belén y Victor Manuel.

What are the guided tours of the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid like?

Currently, the Puerta de Alcalá is in a process of restoration, so when you visit Madrid, you will find it completely surrounded by scaffolding.

This process has allowed from the end of July to the beginning of October 2022, up to 5.200 people can make a guided tour of the Puerta de Alcalá touring these scaffoldings, where in addition to seeing the monument up close, they will learn about its history with the company of a specialized guide.

Of the interest that this possibility has aroused, a good example is that the places for the guided tour were filled in just minutes, once the period for online reservations opened.

When does the restoration of the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid last?

Regarding the aforementioned process of restoration of the Puerta de Alcalá, it is planned that scientific studies will be carried out for almost a year on the state of the monument so that, from  June 2023, they start now renovations.

As of June 2023 will start again guided tours of the Puerta de Alcalá, within the cultural program Open for Restoration.

Where is the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid

La Puerta de Alcalá you find it in the Independence Square, in front of the main entrance of the Retirement park.

Looking through its arches to the west, you can see the Alcala street, with the Fountain of Cibeles, and in the background, the Metropolis building which is on the corner with the beginning of the Gran Vía.

Best Photos of the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid

Here you have a gallery of photos of the Puerta de Alcalá in Madrid.