Gateway of the Citadel (Puerta de la Ciudadela)

In 1724, the Spanish fortified the newly founded Montevideo with thick granite walls designed to house cannons. Over a century later, most of these fortifications were dismantled, leaving only one imposing remnant: the Gateway of the Citadel. Located at Independence Square, this towering slab marks the boundary between the Old City and the New City. Today, visitors can stand before this historic gateway, a tangible link to the city’s colonial past, and observe the transition from the historic to the modern urban landscape.