Puerta Real

The Puerta Real in Seville was once one of the major gates of the walled Old Town. Originally known as the Puerta de Goles, it dates back to the time of the Almoravid ruler Ali ibn Yusuf in the 11th and 12th centuries. Historians long speculated that the name derived from a corruption of the word for Hercules, whose statue crowned the gate, or even went back to Julius Caesar. The gate was extensively remodeled in 1565, when its military elements were removed and two chapels were installed, one for the Virgin of Mercy and one for Christ the Redeemer.

The gate received its current name in 1570, when Philip II of Spain, on his only visit to the city, entered through this gate rather than through the Puerta de la Macarena, as his predecessors had done. The decision was made because the dense development of the adjoining neighborhood was considered unsuitable for a royal entrance. The name Puerta Real, however, remained tied in tradition to that one special occasion, since Philip IV chose the older route again in 1624.

The gate itself was torn down in 1862. Today, only a small remnant of the original wall at the intersection of Alfonso XII, Gravina, Goles, and San Laureano streets recalls its historical significance. A marble plaque set into this masonry commemorates the royal visit and the gate's former existence. Another inscription quotes Latin verses celebrating Ferdinand III's conquest of Seville in 1248 and the glory of his name.