Monumentos
The city of Córdoba, one of the largest in the world during the Middle Ages, also had one of the largest
walls built on the Iberian Peninsula. For more than 1500 years, from Roman times until the end of the
Middle Ages, the wall was built, restored and expanded until a large part was destroyed in the mid-19th
century due to the expansion of the city and a new mentality, which became opposed to overcrowding.
Some wall parts were preserved in the west and east, in addition to some defensive towers and gates.
The gates that are still preserved in Córdoba were divided according to the wall areas. The oldest of all
is the wall of the “Villa” or “Medina”, of Roman origin and rebuilt by Muslims, where the nerve center of
the city was located and the place of the disappeared Roman forum or the current Mosque-cathedral.
In its western part, the “Puerta de Almodóvar” would stand out, so called because since Christian times, it
was connected with a way directly to the current town of Almodóvar del Río. Previously, in the Muslim
period, it would be called “Puerta de los Nogales” because it was flanked by walnut trees, in addition to
connecting by road to the palatine city of Medina Azahara.
The wall of the Axerquía, the expansion carried out by the Muslims since the 13th century and as a
measure of containment for the Christian advance, is the one that would currently end up delimiting the
current historic center of Córdoba, one of the largest in Europe, so It was the largest enlargement. Of this
wall, there are not gate remains.
The one that most stood out on the west wall part would be “Puerta del
Colodro”, nowadays totally disappeared and named becouse a soldier of Fernando III, the Christian king
who conquered the city.
According to sources, soldier Alvar Colodro climbed the wall at this point (north
of the current Santa Marina neighborhood) and surprised the Muslim lookouts, who were shot down. The
conquest of the Axerquía is due to him and in his honor a gate was built at that point, although as I have
mentioned, there is absolutely nothing left.
Finally, we would have the Christian expansion, with a completely new construction of 14th century that
came to surround the current neighborhood of San Basilio, also called the Alcázar Viejo neighborhood
because it is the neighborhood adjoining the current Alcázar de los Reyes Cristianos.
In this fourteenth century construction, only Puerta Sevilla is preserved, being a reconstruction since the original would be
demolished in the year 1869. It was the southernmost access gate to the wall of Cordoba and was
connected, as its name suggests, by a way that connected the current city of Seville.
Do you want to know more about the heritage of Córdoba? Our local guides, graduates in History in
heritage interpreters are best suited for this. Don't hesitate to book our tours:
FREE MONUMENTAL TOUR
-Meeting point: Puerta de Almodóvar (11:00 Spanish / 13:30 English)
FREE TOUR LEGENDS OF THE JUDERÍA
- Meeting point: Puerta de Almodóvar (17:00 Spanish and English)
We remind you that to guarantee your route a reservation is required. Find the yellow umbrella!
