The Camino de Santiago enters the historic center of Astorga through the gate known as Puerta Sol, as it faces east. This is one of the gates of the walls that still surround the historic center of the city of Astorga.
The first walls of Astorga were built in the 1st century BC. The origin of the city dates back to around 15 BC during the Cantabrian Wars. Initially, there was a temporary military camp, or “castra aestiva,” as documented by the remains of a camp ditch found in the city. This first temporary camp later evolved into a larger, permanent camp, or “castra stativa,” which was surrounded by a stone wall. Once the territory was pacified, this wall was demolished to allow for the construction of an important urban settlement called Asturica Augusta, which would become the political and administrative capital of the region.
The evolution of the walls runs parallel to the history of the city, which is also marked by the historical events that occurred within the Roman Empire. During the 3rd and 4th centuries, the empire experienced great instability due to various political changes and a major economic crisis. This situation made it necessary to reinforce the city’s perimeter with a new wall. Its approximate length was about 2,100 meters, enclosing an area of approximately 27 hectares, which corresponded to the historic center of Asturica.
At the gates, of which only one has left visible remains, the openings were reinforced with “opus quadratum” or large square stone blocks, to enhance the entrance and provide greater stability to the structure. The only preserved gate can be freely visited in the Parque del Melgar area, next to the apse of the Cathedral.
With the arrival of the Visigothic peoples on the peninsula and the conflicts between the Suebi and the Visigoths, the city was destroyed in the 5th century and again in the 7th century. The wall suffered significant damage, though it remained standing until the arrival of the Muslims in the 8th century, when the city was once again devastated and depopulated. It was not until the repopulation carried out by Count Gatón in the 9th century that the city was rebuilt and the wall repaired. The various attacks by Muslim troops and the internal struggles between the nobility and Christian royal authority led to Bishop Don Nuño ordering the restoration and reinforcement of the defensive wall around 1230.
During the conflict between John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and John I of Castile in 1387, it again became necessary to reinforce the wall, as Astorga was one of the strongholds under siege. It was during this time that the construction of the Osorio Castle began; the Osorio family would later be named Marquises of the City of Astorga. Following the severe crisis of the 14th century, and according to documentation preserved in the Astorga City Council, by the mid-15th century, the wall required extensive repairs and reinforcement in several sections. Most of the wall preserved today dates from this late medieval period.
The lack of practical utility as a defensive element of the city led to its gradual abandonment and deterioration over time. However, unlike in other places, the wall of Astorga was not demolished, and instead, occasional maintenance work was carried out to preserve it as much as possible. This preservation was crucial during the Peninsular War, as in 1810, the city was besieged by French armies, and the wall aided in the city’s defense until it was completely destroyed in the area of the Cathedral apse and around the Castle of the Marquises of Astorga. In the apse of the Cathedral, the effects of the sieges can still be observed today. Interestingly, in the 1970s, the only excavated Roman gate of the wall was discovered in this area.
Curiosities:
Today, the wall has three accessible sections. The Paseo Blanco de Cela, popularly known as Paseo de la Muralla, runs along the western section of the wall and has an approximate length of just under one kilometer. This landscaped promenade also serves as a viewpoint, offering views of the nearby Sierra del Teleno, and ends in a small, quiet park called Parque de la Sinagoga, built in the 19th century. Another visitable section of the wall can be accessed through the Gaudí Palace. Walking through the palace gardens, visitors can explore a stretch of the wall that offers beautiful views of the Palace, the Cathedral, and the Roman gate.
The Mirador de la Vega is another restored section of the wall. This small stretch, located very close to the Plaza Mayor, offers a stunning view of the Vega del Río Tuerto. In this viewpoint, an interesting cut of the Roman wall can also be seen, revealing different construction phases from the Roman period: the enclosure of the Forum, the wall of the Basilica, and remains of the Roman fortification.
