Ávila

October 26, 2023

Exploring Ávila's city wall. The following information about the city walls was taken from Wikipedia:

The work was started in 1090 but most of the defensive wall appears to have been rebuilt in the 12th century. The enclosed area is an irregular rectangle of 31 hectares (77 acres) with a perimeter of some 2,516 meters (8,255 ft), including 88 semicircular towers. The walls have an average width of 3 meters (9.8 ft) and an average height of 12 meters (39 ft). The nine gates were completed over several different periods. The Puerta de San Vicente (Gate of St Vincent) and the Puerta del Alcazar (Gate of the Fortress) are flanked by twin towers, 20 meters (66 ft) high, linked by a semicircular arch. The apse of the cathedral also forms one of the towers.

The steps up to the top of the wall, and also up to its many towers, were very worn and uneven. 

The cathedral is built into and forms part of the city wall - as seen in the top right of this photo.

The cathedral.

The blocks of stone used in the cathedral section of the wall contain iron ore which accounts for the variegated coloring. 

And some views from the wall of the town of Ávila and the surrounding countryside: