Puerta Real

The Puerta Real forms a historic district in the center of Granada, made up of the streets Recogidas, Reyes Católicos, and Carrera de la Virgen. The area got its name from the visit of King Philip IV in 1624, who arrived during a storm through the Bib-al-Rambla gate of the Muslim city wall. By the sixteenth century, the spot had already become the social heart of the city, a role underscored by the installation of the coat of arms of the Catholic Monarchs in 1515 and later national emblems in 1610. The Darro River originally still flowed through the area, until it was channeled underground in the nineteenth century for hygienic reasons. Since then, social life has increasingly shifted from Calle Elvira and Plaza Nueva to this central zone, which developed into an important commercial hub with a variety of shops and a former casino.