Ávila: The Walls and the Cathedral-Fortress
Castilla y León, Spain
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275
XP
+100 Spain
= 375 total
1 day
Ávila: The Walls and the Cathedral-Fortress
275 + 100 XP
Ávila's walls run a perimeter of about 2,516 metres around the old town with eighty-eight semicircular towers and nine gates, enclosing 31 hectares — one of the most complete and best-preserved medieval fortifications in Europe. Work started in 1090 and most of what stands was rebuilt in the 12th century, and tradition credits it to two foreigners, an Italian called Casandro Romano and a Frenchman, Florin de Pontuenga. At 1,132 metres this is the highest provincial capital in Spain and has the coldest winter lows of any of them. Teresa of Ávila was born here on 28 March 1515.
Required Activities
1
of 5
Walk the wall circuit — about 2,516 metres, eighty-eight semicircular towers and nine gates
2
of 5
Find the Roman altar stones reused as ashlar in the walls at the Alcázar and Rastro gates
3
of 5
Go into the cathedral and work out that it was planned as a cathedral-fortress, its apse forming one of the turrets of the city wall itself
4
of 5
Find the Convent of the Incarnation, the easy-going Carmelite house Teresa entered in 1534 before she set about reforming the order
5
of 5
Walk out to Los Cuatro Postes, the humilladero of 1566 on the Adaja road, for the view back at the whole walled town
Walk the wall circuit — about 2,516 metres, eighty-eight semicircular towers and nine gates
Find the Roman altar stones reused as ashlar in the walls at the Alcázar and Rastro gates
Go into the cathedral and work out that it was planned as a cathedral-fortress, its apse forming one of the turrets of the city wall itself
Find the Convent of the Incarnation, the easy-going Carmelite house Teresa entered in 1534 before she set about reforming the order
Walk out to Los Cuatro Postes, the humilladero of 1566 on the Adaja road, for the view back at the whole walled town
Before you go
At 1,132m Ávila is the highest provincial capital in Spain and has the coldest winters of any of them.
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About Castilla y León
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Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
275 XP
Spain country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
375 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in Spain.
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