Puerta de Purchena preserves the name of an entrance that no longer exists. The Pechina gate once stood here, connecting the walled city with its surroundings. Demolition of the walls in 1855 made room for a different Almería, with new streets, businesses and prestigious housing. The square became a meeting point between the old town, the Paseo and expanding neighbourhoods. The province’s mining wealth helped encourage bourgeois architecture designed to display status. The House of Butterflies, designed by Trinidad Cuartara in 1909, is one reference point for that transformation. Look at the upper features of the façades and compare them with the idea of a defensive gateway: displaying prosperity eventually replaced controlling passage at this same location.
Sources checked on 17 October 2026. Opening and access may change. The walk does not include admission; allow extra time for interiors. Routes have not been audited for accessibility.
Plan this visit
A gate that is no longer there
The name preserves the memory of an entrance removed when the walls were demolished. We suggest reading the square as urban change: imagine controlled passage where routes now spread towards central streets and businesses. The place can tell a story even without a surviving gateway.
Look above street level
Find the Casa de las Mariposas and compare its upper features with neighbouring buildings. Notice how façades seek attention across the open space. This reading of bourgeois architecture adds interest to a square that also functions as an everyday crossing point.
Choose the next stop here
The tourism listing places the cisterns, Calle de las Tiendas and shelters nearby. Decide between an exterior walk and an indoor attraction with confirmed entry. Proximity does not mean that every place is open or that several interiors fit comfortably into the same time block.
