2-370-038 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Carmen Gate, Avila, Spain, 2007. Avila's crenellated city walls are the best preserved in Spain. Built in the 11th and 12th century under Raymond of Burgundy, son-in-law of Alfonso VI, today they are 2.5 km long, 40 feet high and 10 feet thick, with approximately 2,500 battlements, 88 towers, 6 gates and 3 wicket gates. The curious Espadana of Carmen is included over the gate of the city wall which bears the same name; situated at the northern side of the city forming a gap in the wall. In the 14th century it was widened to allow the traffic of carriages, and in the 16th century it again underwent another change. Avila was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985.