Avila walls accessible to all

AVILA City Hall has included videos with sign language on the website about the city’s ancient walls. 

The aim is to guarantee access to information about the World Heritage Site to people who are hearing impaired. This includes information about the resources which are available for the disabled at the monument, including guides in Spanish Sign Language and International Sign Language.

The new, more accessible site is the result of an agreement between the Heritage and Accessibility Councils in the city, which has been made possible thanks to the ACS Foundation.

The translation to sign language has been carried out by deaf professional experts in sign languages of the CNSE Foundation and the Avila Cultural Centre for the Deaf.

The Walls of Avila were completed between the 11th and 14th centuries. The enclosed area is an irregular rectangle of 31 hectares with a perimeter of some 2,516 metres. The walls have an average breadth of three metres and an average height of 12 metres. 

The fortifications are the most complete in Spain.

The site was registered as a National Monument in 1884. In 1985, the old city of Ávila and its extramural churches were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.