Puerta de Alcalá

The royal gateway into Madrid
Noteworthy for: This is one of the most easily identifiable and photographed monuments in the city.

Talk of the town: The gate is immortalised in the golden oldie, 'La Puerta de Alcalá,' sung by Ana Belén and Victor Manuel.
One of the best known monuments in Madrid, Puerta de Alcalá in Plaza de la Independencia, was erected as a triumphal arch to celebrate the arrival of the monarch to the capital. Built for King Charles III, this enormous Neo-Classical gate was designed by the king’s favourite architect, Italian master Francesco Sabatini. Constructed between 1769 and 1778, Sabatini used granite and stone from Colmenar in the province of Malaga.

During the annual Blessing of the Animals festival (Dia de San Anton) in January, flocks of sheep and other animals pass through its portals down the Calle de Alcalá.