2020 - Uruguay - Montevideo - Puerta de la Ciudadela par Ted's photos - Returns Early October

All that remains of Montevideo's old walled city is this entry gate, inhospitably propped up by a less than pretty granite block wall. Gateway of the Citadel (Puerta de la Ciudadela): Montevideo was once a fortified city with majestic walls and a grand stone entrance. The colonial citadel was demolished in 1829 and all that remains today is the stone gate, called the Gateway of the Citadel (Puerta de la Ciudadela). The fortifications were a key example of Spanish military architecture in South America. Construction started mid-1700s and took more than 40 years to finish. The walls were constructed with 19.6-foot-thick (6-meter-thick) granite and housed 50 cannons. There were four bastions with artillery fortifications, and a large, deep moat. In 1829, four years after the country’s declaration of independence a decision was made to tear down the fortifications, and the city was then able to expand. The demolition of Montevideo’s fortified walls made room for Plaza Independencia, or Independence Square. The Gateway of the Citadel was dismantled and rebuilt by the School of Arts and Crafts in its original location in 1959. The fortified section of Montevideo was called Ciudad Vieja, while the expansion project was dubbed Ciudad Nueva. Today the most beautiful and historic colonial buildings are found here.