Closed Gate Square is located in the center of Madrid, in the neighborhood of La Latina, at the confluence of streets Cava Baja, the Nuncio, of Segovia, San Justo , Raisin, Gomez de Mora, of Cutlers and tinker.
The square gets its name because it is near was one of the gates of the XII century defensive wall that Christians rose to integrate the city's neighborhoods outside the walls was once reconsquistada Madrid.
The closed door up towards the end of the twelfth century and was facing east. According to historian Lopez de Hoyos, the door was known at the time as the Culebra door because on top of its pediment was carved in stone the figure of a dragon.
a door was very narrow with many corners, so that those who entered did not see going out and vice versa. This fact was exploited by the bandits who were hiding in their corners to assault and rob people for it happening. For this reason, the door was closed until its demolition in the seventeenth century.
La Plaza de Puerta Cerrada was a starting point of travel of water from the city, the High Abroñigal. And that is why in this place, between Segovia and San Justo Street, stood the source of the eighteenth century by Ludovico Turqui sculptors and Francisco del Valle. Currently, a small fountain replaces this monumental fountain and the Huntress Diana was placed in a nearby fountain, the plaza de la Cruz Verde.
Closed Gate Square is now a very lively area both day and night, which include bars, terraces and restaurants with traditional English cuisine. Its outline is very irregular, because it was formed after the demolition of several buildings. Several murals were painted in the late twentieth century on the walls of the buildings that remained standing.
A stone cross Colmenar granite dominates the square from the mid-nineteenth century. According to Fernandez of The Rivers, the base of the cross is a stone box or ark that served the former High water trip Abroñigal.
Sources:
-the walls of Madrid, The MADRID TRAVEL Water and fences, doors and gates MADRID, M º Isabel Gea Ortigas, Ediciones La Librería
-Wikipedia.org-www.historiademadrid.com
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