Christian Walls of Madrid

Madrid, Spain, Spain

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The Christian Walls of Madrid, constructed between the 11th and 12th centuries after the city's Christian conquest in 1083, expanded dramatically on the earlier 9th-century Muslim fortifications to enclose new districts emerging under the Crown of Castile, spanning over 2,200 meters with about 140 semicircular towers built from limestone and spark-producing flint.

Attributed traditionally to Alfonso VII but likely begun under Alfonso VI, these robust defenses earning the slogan "I was on water built, my walls are of fire" protected a vastly enlarged area of 33 hectares amid Reconquista border instability until the 13th century.

Surviving fragments, declared a historic monument in 1954, remain visible in spots like Calle del Almendro, Cava Baja, Plaza de Isabel II, and Plaza de Oriente's parking garage, offering glimpses of medieval Madrid's transformation.