The Alcázar of the Puerta de Sevilla is one of the most representative elements of Carmona's extensive and rich architectural ensemble. Although archaeological remains dating from the 14th to 12th centuries BC have been found, its origins are established in the 9th century BC. Therefore, the monument, which was declared a historical-artistic landmark even before the Giralda of Seville, reflects, like a diary, the milestones and events of Western history in which the city has participated or of which it has been a witness.
Indeed, the culture of the inhabitants of the interior of the Iberian Peninsula, of the Eastern Mediterranean—Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, and finally, Christians—is imprinted on the stones of the Puerta de Sevilla (Seville Gate). The Carthaginians built a bastion upon the original 8th-century BC tower, giving it the first traces of its quadrangular, heavy, and powerful appearance, designed to withstand the assault of the Roman armies.
They reinforced and renovated the structure erected by the Carthaginians, including the set of gates that can still be seen today. On the bastion, they built a podium and a temple. These interventions, along with the subsequent additions made by the Romans, especially during the 1st century AD, made Carmona "the strongest city in Baetica during antiquity," as Caesar proclaimed upon conquering it.
From the 12th century onwards, various alterations were made. The horseshoe arch on the western side dates from the Almohad period. In 1885, the arch known as the Arch of Philip II, which was located further west than the Almohad arch, was destroyed. The complex was stripped of its adjoining houses in the 1960s. The last restorations took place in 1973, which allowed for the opening of the Lower and Upper Prisoners' Halls, the Cistern Courtyard, and the Golden Tower, from which magnificent views of the Carmona town can be enjoyed.