Muralla de la Macarena and Puerta de Córdoba, the Almohad stretch

The route along the wall lets you see the best-preserved Almohad defensive system in Spain, with unique elements such as the octagonal Torre Blanca and remains of the outer barbican. The visit lasts 45 minutes walking along the wall-walk, with views over the Macarena district and explanations of medieval building techniques.

The 8 rectangular towers alternate every 40 metres between two types: tall towers with a covered chamber and lower stubby towers with no upper chamber. The defensive system combined surveillance from the tall towers with storage space in the stubby ones. The curtain walls between towers are 3 metres thick, built of rammed earth of lime, sand and pebbles.

The rammed-earth modules measure 2.25 metres long by 0.84 metres high, standard dimensions in Almohad construction. Brick additions reinforce arches, vaults and imposts with band decoration. The outer barbican had battlements and arrow slits at regular intervals for defending archers.

Original 12th-century rammed earth with formwork marks

Rectangular towers alternating tall and stubby types

Remains of the outer barbican with arrow slits

Curtain walls 3 metres thick between towers

Battlements restored following Almohad models

The Torre Blanca or Torreón de la Tía Tomasa is the most outstanding structure in the stretch, with an octagonal plan unique among Seville's walls. It has two vaulted levels with an internal staircase and an upper terrace for surveillance. This tower controlled the northern approach from Córdoba and served as the command post for the defence of the sector.

The octagonal plan imitates Byzantine fortification models adapted by the Andalusi Almohads. The two storeys are covered by brick vaults and keep arrow-slit windows facing the approach roads. The interior stone staircase leads up to the terrace, where there were battlements and war engines.

Currently under restoration, the Torre Blanca will open to the public in 2025 as an interpretation centre for the walls. From the terrace you overlook the whole Macarena district, the Basilica and the historic routes to Córdoba. It is the highest point of the route, with panoramic views of Seville and the Guadalquivir.

And the Macarena Arch preserves remains of original polychromy discovered in the test pits of 2021. Analysis revealed red ochre, white, yellow albero and black lines marking rustication from the 18th-century remodelling directed by José Echamorro. This decoration was superimposed on the more sober original Almohad colours.

The gate has the bent-entrance type typical of the Almohads, which forced attackers to turn inside the parade ground, exposing themselves to the defenders. The pointed horseshoe arch follows Andalusi models with brick and ashlar voussoirs. The jambs keep remains of the hinges of the original wooden doors.

The current restoration aims to recover part of the historic polychromy without removing the 18th-century layers, which have heritage value of their own. The arch is a fundamental religious symbol because every Good Friday the Virgen de la Esperanza Macarena passes beneath it during the procession from the Basilica to the centre of Seville.

The Macarena Wall has more than 900 years of history defending Seville. It began as an Almoravid extension to protect a growing city and was perfected by the Almohads, who created the most advanced defensive system of their time. It survived the Reconquest, changed function over the centuries and was saved from demolition for being a religious symbol of Holy Week.

The Almoravids arrived from North Africa in the 11th century to help the taifa kingdoms against the Christians. Yusuf ibn Tashfin extended Seville's walls between 1107 and 1143 because the city had grown considerably and the old defences had become too small. The northern sector towards Córdoba was a priority because that is where invasions came from.

The Almohads who followed were even better builders. In the second half of the 12th century they turned the walls into a perfect war machine. They added an outer barbican, a moat and towers every 40 metres so the archers could cover each other. It was almost impossible to conquer.

Outer moat to stop cavalry and sieges

Barbican with arrow slits for forward archers

Main wall 3 metres thick with 8 towers

Bent entrances where attackers were trapped

Upper wall-walk for rapid movement of defenders

Ferdinand III conquered Seville in 1248 after a 16-month siege, but could not breach the Macarena Walls. They were so strong that he decided to keep them to protect his new Christian city. For 300 years they remained real walls, with soldiers, weapons and a curfew at nightfall.

In the 16th century they began to lose their military function but gained civilian uses. The towers were rented out as warehouses for merchants, workshops for craftsmen and even housing for humble families. The wall-walk became an elevated street between districts where people strolled and children played.

The Puerta de Córdoba had a worse fate. In 1569 a chapel was built on top of it, and in the 17th century the Church of San Hermenegildo swallowed half of the original arch. Sevillians used the walls as part of the normal city: they hung out washing, set up vegetable stalls and even held bullfights next to the towers.

The 19th century was terrible for the walls. The liberal bourgeoisie saw them as an obstacle to progress and a symbol of a past to be left behind. They wanted wide boulevards like in Paris, trams connecting districts and space for the city to grow without medieval limits.

Between 1868 and 1912 more than 85% of the original walls were demolished. The Puerta de Jerez, Puerta de Triana, Puerta del Arenal and dozens of towers fell. The materials were sold to build new houses. It was a heritage massacre that would be unthinkable today.

Holy Week: the Virgin passed through the arch every Good Friday

State of conservation: it was the best-maintained stretch

Location: it was far from the new traffic avenues

Neighbourhood pressure: the people of La Macarena fought to keep it

Declaration: in 1908 it was declared a National Monument in time

The Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the residents of the district got this stretch declared a National Monument in 1908. It was one of the first victories of the Spanish conservation movement. Without that legal protection, nothing would remain today of the walls that defended Seville for 700 years.

The Macarena Wall represents the most advanced Almohad military engineering of the 12th century. The system combined economical rammed earth with strategically placed rectangular towers creating crossfire zones. The triple defence of moat, barbican and main wall made assault practically impossible.

Almohad rammed earth mixed lime, sand and pebbles in formwork boxes of 2.25 m x 0.84 m stacked like giant blocks. It was cheaper and faster than ashlar but just as strong. The standardised modules made it possible to build enormous walls with local materials from the Guadalquivir.

The 8 rectangular towers alternate every 40 metres: tall towers for surveillance and stubby towers for storage. This spacing eliminated blind spots and allowed crossfire from archers who protected each other.

Rammed earth 3 metres thick with brick reinforcements

Alternating towers every 40 metres for total coverage

Curtain walls of local mortar as strong as stone

Arrow slits facing the approach roads

The barbican was a low outer wall with battlements and arrow slits where forward archers took cover. Between the barbican and the main wall lay the lists, 8–10 metres wide, where attackers who got past the moat were trapped under crossfire from two heights.

The moat, 4 metres deep, was partly filled with water. It stopped siege towers, battering rams and cavalry, channelling attackers towards controlled points. It was psychological engineering: most surrendered just at the sight of it.

The Puerta de Córdoba controlled the route to the north with a bent-entrance layout that forced a 90-degree turn inside a parade ground. The defenders attacked from three sides anyone who tried to enter. It is documented in the Libro del Repartimiento of 1248 as one of the 13 original gates.

In 1569 a chapel was added, and in the 17th century the Church of San Hermenegildo devoured part of the Almohad arch. What we see is a hybrid of medieval gate and Baroque façade. The connection with San Hermenegildo (a Visigothic prince who converted to Catholicism) symbolised Seville's conversion from Islam to Christianity.

The Macarena Wall is under restoration until 2025, with partial opening at weekends. The project includes consolidation of the rammed earth, recovery of the barbican and artistic night lighting. When it is fully restored it will be visitable, with a route along the wall-walk and access to the Torre Blanca as an interpretation centre.

Current access is limited while the restoration work lasts. The exterior can be seen freely any day by walking along Calle Resolana from the Macarena Arch to the Puerta de Córdoba. The outdoor route takes 20 minutes and lets you photograph towers, curtain walls and architectural elements from street level.

The wall is 15 minutes' walk from Plaza Nueva along Calle Sierpes–Cuna to Plaza del Duque and then Resolana. By public transport: bus C5 from the centre to the Macarena stop, or metro line 1 to San Bernardo and then bus. Free parking in nearby streets except on procession days.

Location: Calle Resolana, between the Macarena Arch and the Puerta de Córdoba

Transport: bus C5, metro L1 + connection, 15 min walk from the centre

Parking: free in adjacent streets except during special events

Accessibility: limited by steps and changes of level in the historic terrain

If you would like to learn more about Seville's Almohad past and walk this historic stretch with an official guide, you can do so as part of the private tour by Sevilla a Pie. The route adapts to each visitor and includes nearby areas such as the Basilica of La Macarena, the Arch and the wall itself, one of the best preserved in the city.

The specialised local guides explain Almohad building techniques, the historical evolution since the 11th century and the connections with Seville's Holy Week that give the visit a unique context. The private tour lets you devote specific time to the wall according to your interest in medieval architecture, military history or Andalusi heritage.

Total flexibility of times and length subject to availability

Personalised focus on the aspects that interest you most

Access to architectural details known only to local specialists

Combination with the Macarena Basilica, the Hospital de las Cinco Llagas and the traditional district

Small groups for a more personal and educational experience

To book a private tour, specify your interest in the Macarena Wall and Almohad heritage. The route is designed according to your profile, from families with children to specialists in medieval architecture, taking advantage of the fact that the wall is under restoration, with access to exclusive information about archaeological finds.

The central location of the wall makes it easy to combine with other monuments of the historic centre in the same tailored tour, making the most of your time and creating a complete experience of medieval and contemporary Seville.

As well as walking the stretch on your own, you can get to know the Macarena Wall and the Puerta de Córdoba on the official guided visits organised by Seville City Council and the Junta de Andalucía. These cultural routes include explanations of the Almohad origin of the wall, the defensive towers and the history of the Macarena district. Up-to-date information on dates and bookings is available in the Andalusian Cultural Agenda and on the Seville Tourism website.