Muralles renaixentistes de Peníscola
The walled belt wrapping the old town was ordered by Philip II and designed by the Italian military engineer Giovanni Battista (Juan Bautista) Antonelli between 1576 and 1578, with bastions adapted to the artillery of the age. It is reckoned one of the finest examples of Renaissance military architecture on the Spanish coast; it is walked on foot and the enclosure is entered through three gates: the Portal Fosc (or de Felipe II), the Portal de Sant Pere (or del Papa Luna) and the Portal de Santa María.
Between 1576 and 1578, Philip II commissioned the Italian military engineer Giovanni Battista (Juan Bautista) Antonelli to wrap the old town in a new defensive belt. That is how the Renaissance walls of Peníscola were born, with angular bastions already designed to withstand artillery, quite different from the older medieval walls that guarded the castle.
Walking the circuit
You cover them on foot, almost at the water's edge, and the walled enclosure is entered through three gates: the Portal Fosc (or de Felipe II), the Portal de Sant Pere (or del Papa Luna) and the Portal de Santa María. Each one opens onto a different stretch of the old town's whitewashed lanes.
Why they matter
They are reckoned among the finest examples of Renaissance military architecture on the Spanish coast, and working out what to see in Peníscola almost always starts here: they mark the line between the walled town and the modern one. Entry is free, so they slot neatly into any plan around the pretty towns near the coast.
Frequently asked questions
Is it free to walk Peníscola's Renaissance walls?
Yes, the walls can be walked on foot for free, almost right by the sea, and they wrap around the old town.
Who ordered the walls built and when?
Philip II ordered them and the Italian military engineer Juan Bautista (Giovanni Battista) Antonelli designed them between 1576 and 1578, with bastions adapted to the artillery of the time.
How do you enter the walled town?
Through three gates: the Portal Fosc (or Philip II gate), the Portal de Sant Pere (or Papa Luna gate) and the Santa María gate.
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