{"id":2605,"date":"2014-11-10T19:21:01","date_gmt":"2014-11-10T19:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.spainexchange.com\/?p=2605"},"modified":"2026-10-09T13:58:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-09T13:58:36","slug":"puerta-de-toledo-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.spainexchange.com\/articles\/puerta-de-toledo-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Puerta de Toledo, Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Puerta de Toledo is a stone triumphal arch on the roundabout of the same name, the Glorieta de la Puerta de Toledo, between the districts of La Latina and Embajadores in Madrid. This post explains its history, what to look at on each side, and how to combine it with the Rastro flea market a few streets away.<\/p>\n

History<\/h2>\n

The arch was put up to commemorate the arrival in Madrid of King Ferdinand VII, known as “El Deseado” (the Desired). It replaced earlier gates that had stood in the area from the 16th century onwards.<\/p>\n

Its direct forerunner was never built. Joseph Bonaparte, the king imposed on Spain by his brother Napoleon, commissioned an arch from the Spanish architect Silvestre P\u00e9rez between 1811 and 1812, and the project stayed on paper. In 1813 Madrid City Council gave the commission to the neoclassical architect Antonio L\u00f3pez Aguado, and Ferdinand VII approved it. The gate was completed in 1827.<\/p>\n

Two buildings by L\u00f3pez Aguado originally stood at its sides and joined the gate to the city wall. They were demolished at the start of the 20th century, and the arch now stands alone on the roundabout. In 1996 it was declared a Bien de Inter\u00e9s Cultural, the Spanish heritage listing, in the category of monument.<\/p>\n

What to look at<\/h2>\n

The gate is built of granite and Colmenar stone in a Neo-Roman style. It has three openings: a rounded arch in the middle and a square one on each side. Half columns with Ionic capitals flank the central arch, and Ionic pilasters flank the two side openings.<\/p>\n

The two faces are different, so it is worth walking round the roundabout:<\/p>\n