The Only Perfectly Walled Neighborhood That is a UNESCO World Heritage Site is in Castilla y León

Few cities have preserved a medieval wall as well as Ávila. Walking at its feet, one almost loses track of time. Gazing at the robust stone, one searches for some sign to confirm the century we are in - yes, the 21st - but the silence of the wall, like an enchantment, confuses the wanderer. It's no wonder that one doesn't even suspect that inside awaits surprising corners like the Devil's Staircase.

The birthplace of Saint Teresa of Jesus and the inquisitor Tomás de Torquemada, one of the darkest figures of the Spanish Middle Ages, the city has made history its main banner. Thus, both the wall and the medieval core have been preserved with great care, earning UNESCO World Heritage status in 1985.

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Before being designated a World Heritage Site, the Ávila fortification held the title of National Monument (1884) and the city that of Historical-Artistic Ensemble (1982). Centuries ago, it was also called "Ávila of the King," "Ávila of the Loyal Ones," and "Ávila of the Knights," by kings Alfonso VII, Alfonso VIII, and Alfonso XI, respectively. However, the most commonly used nickname by its inhabitants has always been the rhyme that says that Ávila is a city "of stones and saints."

Therefore, one of the best ways to start discovering it is precisely by walking along its walls or entering the Gothic jewel that occupies the heart of its historical center: the Cathedral of Ávila. Situated in the square of the same name, it is the most important religious monument in the city and one of the first Spanish cathedrals built in the Gothic style. Inside, its arches and columns dazzle bathed in the dim light that enters the temple through the stained glass windows.

A few steps away, crossing San Segundo Street and leaving the walled area, one arrives at another important religious center, the Basilica of San Vicente, the oldest sanctuary in the city. It is said that this basilica was built on the ground where the brothers Vicente, Sabina, and Cristeta of Talavera were martyred, known as the Saints Martyrs of Talavera, in the 4th century. Who knows if the history of these Christian martyrs, so tied to the city, inspired St. Teresa of Jesus in her meditations.

Considered a crucial figure of Renaissance literature and the most important religious writer in Spain, Saint Teresa of Jesus was born in Ávila in 1515. In the city, one can visit both the San Juan Parish, where she was baptized, and the Convent and Museum of Saint Teresa, the only one in the world dedicated to the life and works of this important woman. The museum is located in the crypt of the church and convent that bear her name, built on the site of her family home where Teresa Sánchez de Cepeda Dávila y Ahumada was born.

Visitors can imagine the religious figure's childhood while walking through the garden where she played or get an idea of the place where she wrote much of her work, thanks to the reproduction of the cell of San José where the saint lived. They can also see some editions of her books - which have been translated into hundreds of languages - or samples of art, printing, and philately that have commemorated Saint Teresa throughout the centuries.

Another religious building worth a visit is the Royal Monastery of Santo Tomás, a Gothic treasure that houses three magnificent paintings and an altarpiece made by Pedro Berruguete, a notable Renaissance painter. The monastery served for some time as a summer residence for the Catholic Monarchs, who were patrons of the project founded by D. Hernán Núñez Arnalte, their loyal treasurer and secretary.

Besides the Basilica of San Vicente, it is worth exploring the cherished churches outside the walls of Ávila, such as the churches of San Pedro, San Andrés, San Segundo, San José, Santo Tomás, San Martín, Santa María de la Cabeza, and San Nicolás, included in the site declared as World Heritage.

After wandering through the streets of the old town, passing by the Plaza de la Victoria or Mercado Chico - the old Roman forum and the center of city life - the narrow, medieval streets, various palaces, and the Fuente el Sol square - from which one can see the Arco Mariscal of the wall - it is advisable to cross the stone fortification to view Ávila from the outside. This can be done through the aforementioned Arco Mariscal or one of the other nine gates of the wall. Among them, the Arco del Rastro stands out, the last one added, which leads to the Paseo del Rastro, a path that runs along the southern section of the fortification.

The best views of the wonderful ensemble are seen from the Cuatro Postes viewpoint, located on the left bank of the Adaja River. Composed of four Doric columns connected by an architrave, remnants of the small hermitage that stood in this place in 1566, it is the most beautiful place to contemplate the wall of Ávila, especially at sunset, when orange light rests on the stone before giving way to night.