Puerta de Alcala

This monumental gate was once the main entrance to Madrid. It was inaugurated in 1778, replacing an earlier 16th-century structure. As a neoclassical triumphal arch crafted from granite, it holds the distinction of being the first of its kind built in Europe since the fall of the Roman Empire—predating both Berlin's Brandenburg Gate and Paris's Arc de Triomphe. Located next to El Retiro Park, Puerta de Alcalá opens onto some of Madrid's most elegant and exclusive streets.