Santa Maria Gate and Square, Peñiscola

The main entrance to the fortress, the Puerto del Santa Maria Gate, is located in Bous Square. It was built by order of Fernando VI in 1754. Now a memorial plaque commemorates this: PUERTA DE SANTA MARIA FUE ABIERTA REINANDO D. FERNANDO VI MONARCA ESPAÑOL INVICTO AÑO 1754 (The Gates of Santa Maria were opened by Fernando VI monarch of Spain in the year 1754). Before that, the only entrance was the Fosc portal, located in a more secure location. In 1809, the gate was bricked up due to the threat of an attack by Napoleon's army.

Behind the gate is a square with the same name, but on some maps it is marked as plaça de Les Escaseres. The northern part of the square is formed by the battery of Santa Maria (Bateria de Sanata Maria) with arched casemates for storing ammunition. The battery kept under fire the sandy bridge between the coast and the city and became the last fortification of the Peniscola fortress. During its construction, the remains of buildings and other artifacts of the Ancient Roman era were discovered.

Santa Maria Square is the largest open space inside the fortress walls, so it was used as a market place, as well as for celebrations and other mass events. The general public knows this place from the Game of Thrones TV series, during filming the entrance to the square was completely closed, and residents of adjacent houses were paid for the obligation not to shoot anything from the windows.