Calle Maldonado Moorish Arch

"A part of history worth visiting"

Juan José Arroyo

"If you want to know more, continue reading: The wall of Arkûs, an Andalusian settlement covering 14.5 hectares, was erected sometime between the 11th and 12th centuries, although there is no confirmation that the entire land within it was consolidated by the construction. This settlement was mostly defined as hisn by Islamic sources, and twice served as the seat of ephemeral independent states, reaching its period of greatest splendor in the Almohad period (Viguera Molins, 2003: 40-41).
The most important remains of the urban wall have been preserved around the Matrera Gate, to the southeast of the town. Some sections of the Alcazaba have also been preserved, which were incorporated into the castle, rebuilt in the 15th century. It is very likely that other vestiges are masked in the current buildings, which may house remnants of Andalusian construction, such as the lobed arch that appeared in the building at number 9, Boticas Street, with interesting latticework bas-reliefs and Arabic inscriptions.
The southeast face of the wall had eight towers in the Andalusian period, of which six have been preserved, at least one angled entrance—currently known as the Puerta del Cómpeta—and a keep near the northern cliff (Alonso Ruiz and García-Pulido, 2013). At least three building phases have been documented on this face during the Andalusian period. The first corresponds to three typologies: one with predominantly earthy walls, another with walls with some lime and sandstone, and a third with formwork containing sandstone ashlars arranged in a row and header, documented in the wall or coracha that joins the keep to the enclosure (García Pulido and Alonso Ruiz, 2013: 37-52). In the different types of walls documented from the 11th to the 18th century in the medieval wall of Arcense and in the buildings that have been attached to it over time, the use of earth is noteworthy, both in itself and in conjunction with other construction materials.
After the Castilian conquest and during the Late Middle Ages, there is documentation relating to serious renovations carried out on the castle and the wall from the late 14th century onwards (Pérez Regordán, 2002: 44). It was precisely at this time, or well into the 15th century, that the corner gate of the Torre del Cómpeta was completely rebuilt according to fully Mudejar standards. Apart from the possible postern gate next to the cliff, it must have been the only one existing on this side of the town at this time. This is the first evidence of the reuse of the earth from the Andalusian wall, in this case as the solid core of the tower that encloses the fence next to the northern cliff.
During the Modern Age, once the reality of the Frontier had disappeared, important processes of urban transformation took place that profoundly changed the appearance of Arcos de la Frontera on its southeastern front. The wall gradually fell into ruin and was abandoned, at least from the mid-16th century onwards, in parallel with the rise of new houses that invaded various areas of the wall, building against it and reusing its construction materials. From the 16th century onwards, Arcos ceased to be a military colony, becoming a more stable settlement with a certain urban life. Throughout this period, the town center did not extend beyond the walls for defensive reasons. It was not until the end of the 18th century that the city finally developed beyond the walled enclosure. Under the auspices of the Enlightenment, sanitation, and urban development measures, the Peña de Arcos rock near the Cómpeta Tower was lowered again, and the wall's battlement was finally rebuilt due to the presence of a chapel with an image of the Virgin of Pilar. If you liked it, give it a like."

ClÁsico

"Spectacular"

Antonio Morales.