The Wall of Daroca (Spanish: Muralla de Daroca) is a fortification located in Daroca in the Spanish Province of Zaragoza. First built as a Muslim fortification in the 11th[1] or 12th centuries, the wall expanded with Daroca under Christian rule as the city itself expanded. The original wall had segments broken up by the Castillo Mayor[2] (English: Bigger castle). It has around 4 kilometers of walls with several gates and major tower[2] and 114 towers.[3]
| Wall of Daroca | |
|---|---|
 Walls from the Puerta Baja segment | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Moorish, Mudéjar, Romanesque |
| Year(s) built | 1000s—1400s |
The wall was used defensively during multiple wars, including the War of the Two Peters, Peninsular War, and the Carlist Wars,[4] in which the city was captured several times.
The wall is made of bricks held together with red-gray mortar. It uses dimension stones and ashlar for the towers.[1] The wall is also supported by buttresses.[1]
City officials have said that 64% of the wall is estimated to be in poor condition, and parts of it have collapsed. There have been at least 3 such incidents in the years leading up to 2022, with the greatest damage being in the old Castillo Mayor section.[5][6]
Segments
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Major segments of the wall include:[1]
- Castillo Mayor, the original part
- Puerta Baja, which has two grand towers[3]
- Puerta Alta
- Puerta del Arrabal/Puerta de San Martín de la Parra, which is built in a Mudéjar style[3]
- Portal de Valencia, which has a sunroom on top
- Muro de los Tres Guitarros/Torre de San Valero, a tower with windows reminiscent of a guitar
- Torre del Aguila, built in the War of the Two Peters, has since crumbled
- Torreón de San Cristobal, one of the three main towers
- Cerro de San Jorge, built mostly in the 15th century, and a main tower[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Muralla en Daroca". Archived from the original on 1 August 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Walled enclosure and castle in Daroca: monuments in Daroca, Zaragoza at Spain is culture". www.spainisculture.com. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
- ^ a b c "Muralla urbana de Daroca". www.caminodelcid.org. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ a b José Luis Corral Lafuente. "Museo de la Historia y las Artes de Daroca" (PDF). Museo Arqueológico Nacional. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ Aragón, Heraldo de. "Nuevo derrumbe en la muralla de Daroca a la espera de fondos para su consolidación". heraldo.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ^ Press, Europa (19 February 2019). "Un tramo de la muralla del Castillo Mayor de Daroca se derrumba debido al "mal estado" del recinto". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 10 September 2023.