Walls del Arrabal: Difference between revisions

The Walls del Arrabal was the third Walls that had Madrid, had medical and administrative nature, and could to be built in 12th century, although is more credible to be built in 1438, and it seem to be built as result of a plague epidemic that ravaged the city. Because it was decided to build a hospital for plague victims and a Walls that would unite the already urbanized suburbs of the city and prevented the entry of infected. The Hospital del Buen Suceso stood outside the Walls facing the Puerta del Sol, where it remained until 1854, when it was shot down.

Context

In the 15th century the city it continues to grow, as it had been since the 9th century, to the east, inhabited increasing to reach beyond the limits of the Walls surface. Throughout the second half of the century the population increased from five thousand to twelve thousand inhabitants in the early 16th. Madrid was a small town, but had its importance within the Medieval Castilian cities. It was one of the seventeen voting places for Courts, which were held in Madrid on occasion.

A news Walls called del Arrabal locked the land that since the 12th century it were populated outside Christian walled enclosure.

Some writers place its construction in the mid-12th century, under Henry IV of Castile; Urgorri in his work dedicated to the "Ensanche de Madrid en tiempos de Juan II y Enrique IV", but left out the suburb of Santo Domingo, drew the Walls del Arrabal considering that already existed in 1440, in times of John II of Castile. In the same vein, the professor Montero Vallejo said that was laid in 1438, reigning John II, and was built with mainly administrative and sanitary purposes, due to a great plague, one of the many misfortunes that struck Madrid along the 15th century. The Walls, built during the reign of Henry IV of Castile (mid-15th century), started from the gate Puerta Cerrada, still about by the present calles 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, where was united the Medieval Walls.

Later, around 1520, the southern part of the Walls covered more ground, starting from the Puerta de Moros, following to the present calles San Millán, Duque de Alba, Plaza de Tirso de Molina, and Calle Conde Romanones, continuing with the origianl course of mid-15th century.

Gates and postigos

In the early 16th century, this Walls covering an area of 70 hectares and had the next 8 gates and access postigos:

• Puerta de la Vega, survivor of the Arab Walls.
• Puerta de Moros, It was the same gate of the Christian Walls.
• Puerta de la Latina.
• Postigo de San Millán.
• Puerta de Atocha.
• Puerta del Sol.
• Postigo de San Martín.
• Puerta de Santo Domingo.

In the early Walls del Arrabal of the middle of the 15th century there was a gate at the beginning of the current Calle Toledo, giving out the road to the city of Toledo. Subsequently, this gate was moved down to place it in front of the Plaza de la Cebada, around the site where was the Hospital de la Latina, and where it currently is the Teatro de la Latina; This gate is known as Puerta de la Latina.

The Postigo de San Millán was located near the present Plaza de Cascorro, off the calles of San Millán and Duque de Alba; owing its name to a nearby hermitage.

The Puerta de Atocha was located in the present Plaza de Jacinto Benavente. From it started the way to Vallecas through "atochares" that were crop fields of Esparto grass.

The Puerta del Sol was located in the present Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, and was demolished in 1570. Its name was because it was facing east, toward the sunrise.

The Postigo de San Martín was originally located in the crossing of the current Calle San Martín and Calle Navas de Tolosa; It was later transferred to the height of the current Plaza del Callao. Its name came from a nearby convent with the same name.

The Puerta de Santo Domingo was located in the present Plaza de Santo Domingo, and was out the way of Hortaleza and the Sierra de Guadarrama. Its name came from the nearby convent of Santo Domingo el Real.

No found physical remains of this Walls.

External links

• A plan of Madrid of the 15th century.