Puerta de la Ciudadela

by Frederico
(Montevideo Uruguay)

Puerta de la Ciudadela is located at the entrance of Ciudad Vieja adjacent to the Plaza Independencia in Montevideo Uruguay. It was built in 1742 and was the original fortification of the old city. The construction of the fortification took over 40 years.

The walls were built using granite and were 6 meters thick. It held 4 bastions which are angled structures that lean outwards from the fortified walls and were used to hold artillery fortifications.

Originally the granite walls of the citadel in Montevideo held 50 cannons and were surrounded by a 17 meter wide moat that was also 13 meters deep. The entire fortification was demolished in 1877 in order to build Independence Square or Plaza Independencia

The main gate was dismantled and then rebuilt by the School of Arts and Crafts. In 1959 it was placed back to its original location and today is the only remaining part of the original fortified city. You can see this piece of history by entering through the west side of Plaza Independecia on Sarandi Street in Ciudad Vieja or Old City.

The door was dismantled and rebuilt in the School of Arts and crafts. In 1959 placed it at the place it occupies today, the West side of the plaza on the Sarandi Street.

The original entrance of stones from the base, sides, and Center are now the only remains of this amazing piece of Uruguayan History