Ávila - Town Walls

The walls, battlemented throughout their length and incorporating stone from Roman buildings, are 2557m/2797yd long, 12m/40ft high on average and 3m/10ft thick. The 88 semicircular towers, set at intervals of 20m/65ft, give the defenses an imposing aspect, particularly when seen from the Cruz de los Cuatro Postes, west of the town on the Salamanca road. There are nine gates in the walls, the most massive of which are the Puerta de San Vicente and the Puerta del Alcázar (in which re-used Roman stones can be seen), on the east side of the town. Between the two is the apse of the cathedral, known as the Ciborro, which, as the highest tower in the circuit of walls, forms part of the town's defenses. Beside the Puerta del Carmen, on the north side of the town, is a slender tower, topped by one of the storks' nests which are to be seen all over Castile. Near this gate are steps leading up to the wall-walk, which is open to visitors.