About San Andres Gate
San Andres Gate (Puerta de San Andres) is one of the gates which forms a part of Segovia’s historic medieval city walls. It is located on the south side of the walls of Segovia.
History of San Andres Gate
The gate is dedicated to Saint Andrew. It is made up of two towers, one square and one polygonal, an arch, a gallery of irregular windows, loopholes, cornices, pyramidal battlements, and heraldic shields.
Whilst evidence of the existence of San Andres Gate can be traced as far back as 1120, today’s gate was renovated some time between the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries.
It would originally given access to Segovia’s Jewish Quarter, and from atop the city walls, there are views of the famous Alcazar and Jewish Cemetery.
As with all such gates of its time in Segovia, this would have been the work of the Counts of Chinchón, who endowed the gate with the protection of the religious image of the Virgen del Socorro. It is speculated that the stonemasonry itself was carried out by the master stonemason Juan Guas.
By the end of the 19th century, the polygonal wall tower had deteriorated and part of it had collapsed, meaning that it was in ruins as of 1947. A restoration project was undertaken which restored it back to its original state.
San Andres Gate Today
Today San Andres Gate is home to the City Wall Information Centre as well as being a starting point for a tour of the walls.
It is worth exploring the City Wall Information Centre as they can provide a keycode which allows access to the city walls and thus gorgeous panoramic views of the city.
Getting to San Andres Gate
From the centre of Segovia, the city wall is reachable in around 25 minutes by foot via the Av. Padre Claret/CL-601a roads. There is also a regular connecting bus service which takes around 20 minutes and departs from the city centre regularly. By car, the gate is reachable in around 10 minutes via Paseo Santo Domingo de Guzmán.
