The Portal de Sant Antoni is a gateway topped with a tower in the historic town centre of Vila-seca. Declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest.
The early walled enclosure located to the east of the present-day church and guarded by four watchtowers was not large enough to house or offer protection to all townspeople. A second walled perimeter was later built in the mid-fourteenth century that would be used for 400 years. The village had greater importance than the neighbouring regions and it was essential to defend it from looting and outside dangers.
The Portal de Sant Antoni is the only gateway regularly mentioned in ancient documents, and it still retains its appearance as a wall gateway into the second fortified perimeter of Vila-seca. The inside street was Carrer de la Mar (Sea Street) and the area outside the walled grounds towards the sea is called Raval de la Mar (sea district). Carrer dels Ferrers (Blacksmiths’ Street) leads toward the east, formerly Raval de la Presó (Prison Quarter) and to the northeast links to Sant Josep Street and the district bearing this same name.
Portal de Sant Antoni is one of the features included on the route to get to know the historic centre of Vila-seca via the heritage monuments with a QR code.
A bit of history
