Puerta de San Vicente (Madrid)

The Puerta de San Vicente is a monumental gate located in the Glorieta de San Vicente in Madrid (Community of Madrid, Spain). Since 1995 it has occupied the space where the original gate, designed by the architect Francesco Sabatini, stood between 1775 and 1892.

Throughout Madrid’s history there have been several gates that have received the same name. In 1726 the Marquis of Vadillo, mayor of the town, commissioned Pedro de Ribera to build a monumental gate in the city fence, to replace a previous gate, which was in a state of ruin and was called “del Parque”.

It was demolished in 1770, due to the remodelling of the Cuesta de San Vicente (1767–1777), as part of the reorganisation of the western accesses to the Royal Palace and its connection with the Camino de El Pardo. Shortly afterwards, King Charles III of Spain commissioned Francesco Sabatini to build a new gate to replace the previous one as the entrance to the city from the new Paseo de La Florida (Moncloa). The work was completed in 1775 and Sabatini placed an ornamental fountain next to it, popularly known as the Fuente de los Mascarones.

The new gate was in its current location, closer to the river Manzanares than the previous one.