Exploring España: Ávila

A long time ago, I made a list of all the places in Spain I'd like to visit. One such place was Ávila, a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for being the birthplace of Saint Teresa, and also for its beautifully-preserved medieval fortifications. One sunny weekend, I finally made the two-hour trip...

Around 113 km (70 miles) northwest of Madrid, sheltered by the Sierra Gredos mountains, lies the medieval city of Ávila. It has a long history dating back to 700 BC when the Celtiberian Vettones arrived in the area. They built a settlement that they called Obila, meaning 'high mountain'. The Roman conquest in the 3rd century BC marked a turning point for the city – the first walls were built and the city, now called Abila, became an important defensive location.

Eight centuries later, under the direction of Alfonso VI, King of León (r. 1065-1109) and Castile (r. 1072-1109), the old walls were rebuilt in a bid to keep the Moors out. Work continued into the 12th century, and today these walls are the symbol of the city. With 87 turrets, nine gates and a perimeter of around 2.5 km (1.5 miles), the walls are the best-preserved example of their kind in the world.


View of the city walls from the bank of the River Adaja

On leaving the train station, I was annoyed to discover that there was no signage whatsoever, not even to indicate the direction of the town centre. I hung around for a few minutes trying to figure out which direction to walk in, before following the most purposeful-looking pedestrians. Soon, I was within striking distance of the walls. But something caught my eye.

It turned out to be La Basilica de los Santos Hermanos Mártires, Vicente, Sabina y Cristeta (more commonly known as La Basilica de San Vicente). A 12th century Romanesque church, it was built to commemorate Saint Vincent and his sisters who were martyred during the reign of Diocletian, Roman Emperor (r. 284-305). I was particularly taken with the southern portal

The south façade

Stone lion outside the basilica

The southern portal

Detail of the southern portal

Having snapped a few photos, I continued on with my search and soon after got my first look at the walls when I entered the city via La Puerta de San Vicente. Minutes later I was standing outside the La Catedral de Ávila. Even though I was desperate to locate the access point for the walls, I guessed (correctly) that the cathedral would be worth a look.


La Puerta de San Vicente (The Gate of Saint Vincent)

Designed to be a cathedral-fortress, the 12th century Catedral de Ávila comes complete with battlements and sentry walks, and an apse that is built into the fortifying wall around the city. It is thought to be the first Gothic cathedral in Spain.


The northern façade

The arched cloister



Another look at the arches



Inside the cathedral



Interesting stonework



The interior, built in an unusual mottled red and white stone



Detail of the ceiling



The main altarpiece (1499-1512)

Windows

Just outside the city walls in La Plaza de Santa Teresa is La Iglesia de San Pedro, a 12th century Romanesque church with a striking Cistercian rose window above the doorway.


The church with its beautiful rose window

Statue in front of the church

Statue of Saint Teresa just outside La Puerta del Alcázar

  

It didn't take me long to find the office selling tickets for the walls. The bored seller held up a map and explained something in rapid Spanish. I got that there were two points of access, but I didn't understand where the second one was. Since my ticket was valid for the day, I decided to have a look at the first point, and worry about finding the second one later.

The cathedral joining the walls

Views from the first access point

Having the seen the little there was to see, and taken in the views, I descended the steps. Back on the ground I was still unsure about where the other access point was, but unwilling to ask, I had to content myself with just wandering around the town.

A drainpipe cover that appealed to me

La Puerta de la Santa (The Gate of the Saint)



Poppies



Sweet-smelling sage in bloom

With temperatures standing at around 25°C (77°F), it was a little too hot to just wander, and I was getting grumpy. I saw another gate, and suddenly realised that I had reached the back wall of the fortifications. Keen to get some shots of the outside of the walls, I exited the gate and crossed the river.

La Puerta del Puente (The Gate of the Bridge) and a section of the walls

Bridge over the Adaja river

The impressive walls

Back inside the fortifications and I realised that I now had an uphill walk to get back to the cathedral area. Hot and bothered, I dragged myself through the town and then, seeing people walking the as yet elusive walls, redoubled my efforts to find the second access point.

I eventually located the entrance near La Puerta del Peso de la Harina (Gate of the Flour Weighbridge) and, on flashing my ticket from earlier, I was free to explore. Only about 1.7 km (1 mile) of the wall is accessible – the south-facing walls are not yet open to the public. I was amazed to discover that the walls were near-empty and I could wander at will and enjoy the views in peace.


Into the blue



Views across the countryside

Empty walkways

More steps



Lizard warily sunning itself



A really small door – it was only just taller than me and I'm 5'2" (158 cm)



Stunning views



Papaver rhoeas (common poppies) and Malva sylvestris (common mallows, to Europeans at least)

Despite the fact it was a beautiful day in high season, Ávila was surprisingly quiet. Sure there were some sightseers (mainly Spaniards), but for the most part, I had the city to myself. I could see and do whatever I wanted without being trampled by camera-toting tourists keen to grab my shot. I enjoyed my day there and I'll definitely be making a return trip, not least because I missed off some major sights.