San Sebastián Land Gate 🇪🇸🇪🇸🇪🇸⚔️⚔️⚔️

During the first half of the sixteenth century a new wall was built close to San Sebastian's old mediaeval wall. The space between the two was big enough to allow the urban nucleus to be extended somewhat and in the following years the "Old Square" (Plaza Vieja) was created in the area beside the main gate leading into the town: the Land Gate [Puerta de Tierra]. There is no clear indication of who initially designed the wall. Presuming that Pedro Navarro was not involved, it seems most likely that it was built by the governor of Hondarribia, Diego de Vera. Gabriel Tadino de Martinengo worked on it around 1528, while Benedicto de Rávena also drafted a proposal in 1534. The wall was 280 metres long, 15 metres thick and the average height above the level of the fosse was 13 metres. It consisted of an earthen rampart, nine metres thick, bordered on the outside by a main wall of ordinary masonry, six metres thick, covered on the outside in ashlar stonework. In areas next to the sea, the foundations were supported on wooden piles. Museum Motako Gaztelua (Castillo De La Mota) in San Sebastian (Spain).