Puerta de la Villa

The one known as Puerta o Arco de la villa must not have been the main gate of the fortress until well into the 16th century. In the late Middle Ages and in the Muslim period it may have corresponded to the so-called "almocaber gate" or cemetery gate. Indeed, on the slope outside the gate and wall (today the slope of the Town Hall) have been found in the successive works of repair of the road numerous tombs well aligned towards the east. This gate of the fortress acquired importance from the XVI century with the expansion of the population and with the incorporation of the square to social uses such as military parades or parades and become a place for walking and recreation. The present arch does not correspond to the primitive one, existing until the middle of the fifties of the last century. The primitive gate was the least slender and the poorest of the existing gates, both for its materials and for its deterioration and semi-ruined appearance. On the arch it was allowed in the middle of the XIX century to build a room that at the present time connects with the adjoining house. In the decade of the fifties of the XX century a deep reform of the Arch was carried out that, besides hiding the primitive door, extends the width of wall with masonry and it is given a regular bearing, in agreement with the criteria of the time. It could be estimated that the state of conservation is good in the current conditions. But it is certainly not the primitive arch. Although it is not possible to think of a return to the arch of the forties of the last century, a restoration work could be undertaken to eliminate the masonry that covers the original elements and the replacement of pieces and elements similar to the other doors of the enclosure. Although the Puerta de la Villa is public, the existing room over the arch is private.