Puerta de Alcalá

The Puerta de Alcalá is one of the symbols of Madrid and one of those images that summarize the personality of the city: elegant, monumental and always full of life. It is located in the Plaza de la Independencia, next to the Retiro Park, at the point where some of the best-known streets of the capital converge, such as Alcalá, Serrano and Alfonso XII. The gate was built by order of King Carlos III, known as “the best mayor of Madrid” for the numerous urban reforms he promoted during his reign. The monarch wanted to modernize and beautify the city, and commissioned the Italian architect Francesco Sabatini to create a monumental entrance to replace a previous door, built at the end of the 16th century. Work began in the 18th century and the monument was inaugurated in 1778. Although today we see it surrounded by traffic and buildings, it originally marked one of the main entrances to Madrid. Its name comes from the old road that led to Alcalá de Henares. Travelers arriving from that direction passed through the gate before entering the city, so we can imagine it as a great stone welcome to the Spanish court. The Puerta de Alcalá is built mainly with granite from Segovia and stone from Colmenar. It has five openings: three central arches, formerly used for the passage of carriages, and two more lateral entrances…

Open in the map