Side Trip to Avila

Rita plugged in our Tom Tom, who we call Sally because of her English accent, and headed towards our next destination Salamanca.  I read about a small town that is famous for its perfectly preserved medieval walls that was on the way and so we stopped for a couple of hours to explore.  The town is Avila and for more than 300 years it was on the battlefront between the Moors and the Christians, changing hands several times.

Stopped at a lookout that gives you a great view of the medieval walls surrounding the old town of Avila.  Built from around 1100 on top of even more ancient remains, Avila's fortified wall is the oldest, most complete and best-preserved in Spain.

 One of the three entrances into the town.  Today it is surrounded by more peaceful folks sitting in restaurants, cafes or hunting for souvenirs
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Just outside Avila's fortified walls, which are kept in excellent condition as the town invests in constant restorations, repairs and cleaning.

Construction on Avila's Cathedral started in 1095 shortly after the final reconquest from the Muslims. It was planned as a cathedral fortress with its apse being one of the turrets of the fortified walls. Most of what we see today was built between the 12th and 14th centuries.  It is considered the first Gothic Cathedral built in Spain.   

The apse, with its unique red and white stone, is the oldest part of the cathedral as it was constructed to be part of the fortified wall.  Later construction was with white stone as you can see from the pillars.