The Demolition of the León City Wall Gates in the 19th and Early 20th Century: An Irreparable Loss of Heritage

Abstract

In the second half of the nineteenth century and the early years of the twentieth, the municipal authorities of León took the decision to demolish the historical gates of the walled enclosure, thus destroying an important part of the city’s heritage. In the present article, we will analyse and appraise the reasons and consequences of this initiative, studying this destructive process on the basis of information obtained from the archives. As a result of this research, we have been able to clarify most of the events and the dates on which they occurred, countering inaccuracies and some of the errors which have been published to date. At the same time, we have been able to contribute to the establishment of a documentary basis for understanding the historical heritage of the walls of León.