With a name like Jerez de la Frontera, the city
naturally needed imposing defensive walls. These defences were constructed from
around 1133, but during Almohade rule during the late XII and early XIII
centuries they were radically strengthened. They were approximately 4
kilometres long, 2.6 metres thick and 9 metres high and mostly with
battlements, to entirely enclose and defend the 46 hectares of the city. By the mid XVI century the city was bursting and began to expand beyond the wall, which now
forms the perimeter of the historic city centre, and begins and ends at the XII
century Alcázar fortress, and along their length there were 79 watch towers and
four well defended gates. Many burials took place just outside the walls and the works in 2004 to build the underground car park in Plaza Arenal uncovered a "maqbara" or Arab necropolis.
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| An early sketch of the city showing the Alcazar, four gates, various churches and the Cabildo (council building) |
Alfonso X “El Sabio” entered the city through the
Puerta de Sevilla in 1261 after his re-conquest of it from the Moors. Sadly it was
demolished in 1864. The Puerta Real, demolished in 1821, was situated on the edge of what is now the
Plaza Arenal on the corner of Calle Consistorio. In 1477 the Reyes Católicos
(Fernando and Isabel) visited the city entering by the Puerta de Santiago which
was also heavily fortified. The Puerta de Rota was also heavily fortified with three
watch towers, but was mostly demolished in 1787 after a fifth gate, the Puerta
del Arroyo, the only old gate surviving, was constructed later in the XVI century, and
with far more traffic rendered the old gate virtually obsolete. The remains of
one of its towers, the Torre Riquelme, are incorporated into the walls of the old
Domecq bodegas, now Fundador.
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| The wall is clearly visible in this print from 1565 looking eastwards from the Ermita de Guia |
The construction method of the walls is interesting. A technique called "tapia" (from the arabic "tabiyya) or "rammed earth" was employed. This is an ancient method which is simple and economical and uses easily obtained materials. It consists of a wooden framework into which is poured a mixture of lime, earth and mixed aggregates such as bone, stones, gravel, bits of ceramic and organic material such as straw. The mixture is then rammed down to compress it, and once hard enough, the framework can be removed and used again for the next layer. It is not so different from pouring concrete into shuttering, and in both cases the impression of the woodgrain can often be seen. In the picture below you can see all sorts of regular marks on the walls. These are holes where the wooden framework was anchored, and once it was moved they were filled in. The passage of time and insufficient maintenance have exposed them.
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| The octagonal tower at the Alcazar showing construction method (foto:Pascual/diariodejerez) |
As the city grew, especially during the XVIII and
XIX centuries, the old walls were no longer needed for defence, and they
suffered at the hands of new enemies; urban planning and lack of space. More of
the walls remain than it would appear in fact, as many buildings, especially
bodegas, have been constructed against them over the centuries, thus obscuring
them, yet at the same time protecting them. Just recently building work on a new bar restaurant El Chicharron in Plaza Arenal has revealed one of the long disappeared towers and barbican of the old Puerta Real, and it is hoped to feature it in the completed design. La Rosa ice cream and cake shop right opposite also contains interesting remains, while Bar La Moderna at the foot of Calle Larga has parts of the wall exposed at its rear. Examples can also be seen in Calle Muro (Wall
Street) near bodegas Urium and Tradición. As the Sherry trade rapidly expanded
during the XIX century, more and more bodegas were constructed leaving ever fewer
sites available for housing so the city council encouraged their construction
outside the walls. Ironically the sites of many of these old bodegas within the
city are now being converted into housing after the long decline of the Sherry
trade.
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| A mid XIX century view looking eastwards. The outline of the wall is still clearly visible |
If you are visiting Jerez, a walk round the
city walls is a fascinating and easy excursion which allows one to see many
sights and get a real understanding of the city’s history and topography. The
walls have disappeared in some places, but the following suggested route covers
most of what remains.
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| Calle Ancha with houses built against the wall and the old railway track in the 1950s |
Starting from the Alcázar, head NE along Calle
Armas, across the Plaza del Arenal, along Calle Lancería, Calle Larga, Calle
Porvera, left along Calle Ancha, left along Calle Muro past bodegas Urium, left
along Ronda del Caracol, left along Calle San Blás through the Fundador bodegas,
right down Calle San Ildefonso, along Calle Espiritu Santo. When you arrive at
the Plaza del Arroyo at the bottom, look right to see the Puerta del Arroyo and
the huge Tio Pepe bodega. Then cross the square and it is back uphill via
Cuesta Encarnación and Calle de la Rosa up the side of the cathedral and at the
top you will see the Alcázar again where the wall once rejoined it. If you head
along the Alameda Vieja through the Jacaranda trees you will see on the other
side of the road Taberna La Sureña where you will find a very well-deserved glass of
Sherry.
