Madrid - Alcalá Gate

(Local Name: Puerta de Alcalá) The Puerta de Alcalá, one of Madrid's familiar landmarks, was built by Charles III's architect, Francesco Sabatini, between 1769 annd 1778. This Neo-Classical gate replaced the Baroque arch which had been erected for the entry into Madrid of Margaret of Habsburg, Philip III's wife.

Situated on the important road to northwestern Spain and France, the Puerta de Alcalá was a major element in Charles III's plan for the embellishment of eastern Madrid. The royal residence of Buen Retiro was the central feature of a large-scale development project which included the building up of the meadowland of San Jerónimo, the establishment of the Jardín Botánico and the construction of the Natural History Museum: an ambitious plan reflecting the principles of the Enlightenment which was carried out by three architects, Sabatini, Villanueva and Ventura Rodríguez.

With its five passages, the three central ones arched and the two outer ones rectangular, its granite structure and its Baroque decoration of limestone, the imposing Puerta de Alcalá became both a symbol of the enlightenment and a monument to Charles III, the "Mayor-King".