The Walls of Ávila is a walled military camp that goes around the city’s old town. The old town, as well as the Walls and the churches outside the walls were designated World Heritage sites in 1985. Even before that, in 1982, Ávila had been designated Conjunto Histórico Artístico.
The Walls are a universal symbol and the most outstanding monument of Ávila. They are so important because it is the best preserved Medieval walled enclosure in Spain and surely in Europe. It is a property of the Spanish government and it is managed by the council of Ávila. However, some sections, which coincide with palaces and churches, like the cathedral, are private.
The Walls have been a crucial factor in the formation of the city’s urbanism and the distribution between the diverse social classes that had dwelt in Ávila. The Walls represented the division between the “wild area” and the “civilized area.” Peasants, the lowest social class, used to live in the countryside and were the ones that sustained the city. They had to pay 80% of the urban facilities‘ fee, including the Walls’.
The Walls’ perimeter is 2516 meters, takes 33 hectares and it forms a rectangle oriented from east to west. They are 3 meters thick and 12 meters high, and for its construction Roman necropolis materials were reused.
Its construction started at the end of 11th century under the reign of Alphonse VI of Castile. Casandro Romano and Florín de Pituenga were in charge during the 9 years the construction lasted, from 1090 to 1099. An interesting fact is that the part of the Walls that coincides with the Episopal Palace lacks the trinchera (a path located at the top of the walls, behind the merlons) because the façade was enlarged. However, this period of time is not compelling enough for some researchers who believe that a former edification already existed, probably a Roman military camp. Later on, in 1596, Philip II decided to restore it.
During the 19th century, the demolishing of the Walls was planned in order to facilitate the union between the city and outside neighborhoods. However, the project was not carried out due to the economic crisis that started during that period. In 1884, the Walls were designated National Monument, being under protection from that moment on. But they have went through different modifications throughout its history, from routine maintenance works to restauration works carried out at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1907, Repullés was in charge of various work that changed the appearance of the monument, and it was not until 1982 that the houses attached to the Walls were demolished.
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