Porta ou Arco de Mazarelos

The Arco de Mazarelos is the only remaining gate of the medieval wall that once encircled Santiago de Compostela. Constructed from granite, this stilted semi-circular arch stands in the Praza de Mazarelos as the sole survivor of the seven defensive gateways that regulated entry to the city during the Middle Ages. A building attached to its southern side preserves the foundation of a watchtower that originally flanked the entrance, providing a concrete trace of the fortifications commissioned by Bishop Cresconio between one thousand thirty-seven and one thousand sixty-six.