Walls, palaces and sweets in medieval Avila

Avila and its most important landmark, The medieval city wall.

It is unique in the world and entirely encircles the Old Town.

It has been uninterrupted and intact since it was built between the 11th and 14th centuries.

A World Heritage Site, it’s also the only fully illuminated monument of its size.

The walls have a perimeter of 2516 meters and feature 87 towers and nine gates.

They rise on a plateau on top of a rocky landscape with the left bank of the river Adajar down below.

1.5 km of the walls are walkable, with several access points along the wall.

The views from the walls and towers reach far as several palaces and monuments.

A part of the cathedral is integrated into the walls, which means you can see stone carvings and details up close.

A second line of defence within the walls is formed by some palaces which served as dwellings and fortresses simultaneously.

Outstanding among them, although not forming part of the wall itself, is the Palacio de Superunda near the Tower of Guzman.

It’s the best restored of all the palaces and has an exciting history.

In 1916, the Italian painter Guido Caprotti from Monza visited Spain to study the works of Spanish masters.

On his way to Leon, he got stuck in a snowstorm in Avila and never left.

He fell under the city’s spell and purchased the Palacio de Superunda.

He restored it and converted it into his atelier and living quarters.

He quickly became a `son of Avila`, painting city scenes repeatedly in all seasons and making a good living through portraits of the local society.