Wall of Charles III (Cartagena)

These walls correspond to the last defensive belt built in ancient times in Cartagena, and they are still partially preserved.

Cartagena historically almost always had defensive walls, with the oldest data of the wall dating from the third century BC. Later, it was re-walled by the Roman people. When the Byzantine domination arrived, another wall was built by order of Emperor Maurice. At its entrance, the tombstone of Comenciolo was placed.

It was later, in 1776, that King Charles III ordered the construction of the last wall of Cartagena, due to the state of vulnerability that the city was in, this being a military enclave of great importance.

In the 20th century, with urban expansion, almost half of the original walls were demolished, and even the Saint Joseph Gate was dismantled. The Saint Joseph Gate is preserved today in two vaults near the municipal tourism office in the Interpretation Centre of the Punic Wall.