One of the most emblematic monuments of the capital of Spain is the Puerta de Alcalá. Its name is not by chance since, in its origins, it was one of the five gates that gave access to the Villa as well as the Puerta de Toledo, the Puerta de San Vicente and the Puerta de Hierro, for example.
The Puerta de Alcalá was built in a place of transit, coinciding with one of the main entrance roads to Madrid, but leaving aside the functionality of its predecessors. It is located at the beginning of Calle Alcalá, in the Plaza de la Independencia.
History of the Puerta de Alcalá
Its construction was a mandate from King Carlos III to Francesco Sabatini in the XNUMXth century to replace an old door from the XNUMXth century that had become obsolete and incidentally commemorate his arrival in Madrid as sovereign.
The Italian artist gave it a neoclassical design and a monumental look that resembles Roman triumphal arches and took 9 years to complete.
Curiosities of the Puerta de Alcalá
Few people know that its originality lies in the fact that it was the first triumphal arch erected after the fall of the Roman Empire. However, it is the one in Paris that takes all the fame in Europe
On the other hand, perhaps someone has noticed that the Puerta de Alcalá has asymmetrical facades but they do not know the reason for this difference. It is said that the cause was an oversight and an act of good faith that gave the monument an even more unique character if possible.
Everything originates with the contest that King Carlos III made to choose the person in charge of carrying out the work. The candidates were Ventura Rodríguez, José de Hermosilla and Francesco Sabatini. The winner was the last of the three, who sent several sketches to the monarch and reportedly gave the go-ahead to two different sketches at once without noticing. Sabatini, In order not to make the king fall into his error, he chose to act in the most diplomatic way possible and merged both projects into one, hence the Puerta de Alcalá has two different faces.
The main difference, and the one most visible from a distance, is that on one side the work has ten semi-columns in the Ionic style while on the other there are two columns accompanied by pilasters. Crowning the door on one side we see some heraldic shields while on the other, we see sculptures of children.
Location
The Puerta de Alcalá is located on Calle Alcalá with the Plaza de la Independencia. Due to its location, in the northwest corner of the Retiro Park, a visit to the Puerta de Alcalá is a good opportunity to learn the secrets of this green space so loved by the people of Madrid. The closest metro stop is Retiro, line 2.