[Marc]

Bona nit!!

Dubrovnik! I remember Dubrovnik as really beatiuful city, the true jewel of the dalmatian coast. I would say you that, if possible, don’t lose any future chance to visit de Croatian coast.

I was in Dubrovnik in the summer of 99, during my only two free days in my tour of duty with the Spanish Parachute Brigade (BRIPAC) in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The first day, (finally wearing civilian clothes after so much time and without any equipment!!) I went all over the wall under the summer sun, with a group of friends of “Infanteria de Marina”. A high, strong and impressive wall, conceived for the black powder age. A good example of poliorcetic in a coastal city.

As Mohoender says, walled cities were common in all the Iberian Peninsula. But the presence of a well preserved wall in the present day depends, in great part, of the development of the city. Those cities which have suffered an stagnation period preserve their walls nearly intact. Others cities, like Barcelona, have urbanized, centuries ago, spaces beyond the walls (extra-muros) and only minor fragments exists in the original city centers. From the point of view of a modern observer, it’s a shame, but, after all, it was the progress. In the Gothic cathedral square of Barcelona, an impressive medieval wall fragment can still be observed, with roman foundations and modern era modifications. A wall constructed by Romans that has known the armies of Muslims, Franks, Spanish, Catalans, Frenches, Austrians, and others...

I think that the city of Avila is, perhaps, the most important walled city in Spain. Morella is an impressive walled city, at the top of a mountain; Peñiscola, in the Mediterraean coast, were was filmed “The Cid”, with Charlton Heston ... And a lot of others. The small walled medieval village in Peratallada deserves a visit, too. Of course, the Spanish poliorcetics is strongly focused to the fight against the muslims. But internal conflicts and international wars have been important factors. Europe is Europe...

And out of Spain, for my experience, I must recommend you Dubrovnik, Carcassone and Beaune.

Here you found a link of an association of walled cities:

http://www.walledtowns.com/wtfc/map.html