Puerta del Reloj (Clock Gate) - Cartagena, Columbia
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denben
N 10° 25.378 W 075° 32.951
18P E 439890 N 1152229
The Puerta del Reloj is the main city gate of the historic center of Cartagena de Indias, in Colombia and the original entrance of the fortified city.
Waymark Code: WM17JE0
Location: Colombia
Date Posted: 02/26/2023
Views: 1
"Puerta del Reloj is located between Plaza de Independencia and Plaza de los Coches. The name "Puerta del Reloj" responds to the clock with which it was crowned at the beginning of the 18th century. While the name of Boca del Puente is due to the fact that during the colonial period, a drawbridge was raised at the foot of the channel of San Anastasio, which linked the walled city to the legendary Getsemaní neighborhood. In addition the bridge served like defense of the city, since in case of enemy attack, this one was raised to prevent the access of buccaneers and pirates.
In addition, the gate was protected by the bastions of San Pedro Apóstol (now disappeared) and that of San Juan Bautista.
It has a postclassical style in its facade, precursor of those who advocated the fortification treaties of the second half of the 18th century. The Puerta del Reloj is the work of military engineer Juan de Herrera y Sotomayor, founder of the Academy of Cartagena, and its style recalls the facade of the main church of the Monasterio de San Francisco in the colonial city of San Domingo. Indeed the two gatess have a Romanesque semicircular arch, flanked by two pairs of Tuscan columns, and the same entablature with a frieze decorated with triglyphs.
For connoisseurs, this gate is one of the most successful works of the Spanish-American School of fortification and perhaps one of the best preserved in the New World, since it strictly conforms to the opinions of the school of Vauban.
Among the locals this gate is known as Boca del Puente, but for non-natives of Cartagena it is simply the Puerta del Reloj." (
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