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Begin your wanderings along Paseo de la Princesa , a busy cobblestoned promenade, and head west along the southern city wall. The prim, grey and white Neoclassical building you'll see before you come to Calle Presidio is known as La Princesa . Built as a prison in 1837, it is today home to the main PRTC office as well as a gallery showcasing the work of Puerto Rican artists. Known as La Muralla , the city wall, which is up to twenty feet thick in some places, is a sight in itself. Until the late nineteenth century, it encircled all of Old San Juan with 3900 metres of sandstone, culminating in the fortress of El Morro at the headland. Construction began in 1539 and wasn't finished until 1782. Until 1897, when part of the wall was destroyed to facilitate urban development, the city was accessible only through five huge, heavily guarded wooden doors that closed at nightfall. One such door, La Puerta de San Juan , stands at the end of Paseo de la Princesa near the port. Completed in 1635, this imposing red door was the first of the entrances to be built and was the check-in point for Spaniards delivering colonists and goods; today it is one of only three doors that remain. Once inside the wall, follow Calle Recinto Oeste to La Fortaleza (Mon-Fri 9am-3.30pm; free; tel 787/721-7000 ext 2358), the oldest executive residence of its kind in the western hemisphere. Built in 1540, this palatial mansion overlooking the bay has served as the governor's home since the seventeenth century, and was originally the island's first fortress. While there is no access to the government offices, visitors may take a free guided tour through the dungeon and lush Moorish gardens; dress appropriately. Head back down Calle Recinto Oeste until it takes an uphill turn. On your left, at the intersection of Caleta Las Monjas, you'll come upon a plaza with a tall sculpture known as La Rogativa. This striking Giacometti-like bronze, set dramatically against the bay, commemorates the city's salvation from the British in 1797.
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