Puerta Real (Royal Gate), known until 1570 as Puerta de Goles, was one of the gates of the walled enclosure of the city of Seville, in Andalusia, Spain. It was located at the confluence of the streets Alfonso XII, Gravina, Goles, and San Laureano. The gate was demolished in 1862, and today only a section of the wall on which it stood remains, with a commemorative stone plaque embedded in it.
History and Origins
The gate is considered to have originated during the expansion of the city under Sultan Ali ibn Yusuf (1083–1143), placing it in the Almoravid period of Seville. Some historians, such as Rodrigo Caro and Peraza, relying on legend, attributed its origin to Julius Caesar, interpreting the name "Goles" as a corruption of "Hercules," to whom the gate was supposedly dedicated. However, a more plausible explanation is that the gate led to a road connecting the city with the estate of Goles, near what is now the Isla de la Cartuja, and from there toward Camas and Santiponce.
Reconstruction and Renaming
The gate was completely rebuilt in 1565, eliminating all its previous military features. Inside, it housed a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy (Virgen de las Mercedes) and another to Christ of the Redemption (Cristo de la Redención).
The name change from Puerta de Goles to Puerta Real occurred in 1570. Traditionally, Castilian monarchs made their official entry into Seville and swore their privileges through the Puerta de la Macarena. This was done by Isabella I of Castile (1477), Ferdinand II of Aragon (1508), Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor), and his betrothed Isabella of Portugal (1526). However, when the commission organizing the first and only visit of King Philip II to the city in 1570 encountered difficulties with the Puerta de la Macarena route (narrow streets causing discomfort for such an event), it was decided that the king would enter through this gate instead. As a result of this royal entry, the gate ceased to be called Puerta de Goles and adopted the name Puerta Real. King Philip IV, who visited the city in 1624, resumed the earlier tradition by entering through the Puerta de la Macarena, making the 1570 event a special occasion.
Demolition and Remains
The gate was torn down in 1862 as part of the urban expansion (Ensanche) of the city. In 1995, restoration work was carried out on the existing section of wall, where the former existence of the gate is marked. A marble plaque at the site bears a Latin inscription:
"Ferrea Fernandus prepegit claustra Sevilla Fernandi nomem splendit ut astra polli"
Which translates to: "Ferdinand broke the strong gates of Seville, and the name of Ferdinand shines like the stars of heaven."
Commemorative Chapel
A chapel known as the Capilla de la Puerta Real still exists and serves as the seat of the Hermandad de la Merced de Puerta Real, a brotherhood that processes in September during Seville's glories celebrations.
