The Torres de Serranos or Puerta de Serranos are one of the two fortified gates of the medieval wall of Valencia that still remain standing.

The complex is made up of two polygonal towers joined by a central body, where the door itself opens, in the shape of a semicircular arch.

The name of the gate seems to come from its location, to the northeast of the old town, as a natural entrance that communicated with the roads that went to the Los Serranos region (the royal road of Zaragoza, which at this point also converged with the royal road from Barcelona). Another theory supposes that it could take the name of the main family that inhabited the homonymous street.

The Valencia juries entrusted the construction of the towers to the master Pere Balaguer, who was inspired by other Gothic doors, with polygonal towers, such as the Royal Door of the Poblet monastery, influenced by the Genoese architectural style, or the door of San Miguel de Morella.

The works began on April 6, 1392 on the grounds of the previous portico. In 1397, the works almost finished, the need to improve access to the main floor of the towers was raised. That is why the monumental stone staircase was designed, which enlarged the building and facilitated its use in welcome parties. On March 19, 1398 the works were completed.

Its main use for a long time was to serve as a defense in any siege or eventual attack on the city, but more generally it was used for ceremonies and official entrances of ambassadors and kings, and it was considered (and still is considered) as the entrance main town.

During the Spanish Civil War, they served as a depository for the works evacuated from the Prado Museum, after a necessary adaptation for this purpose. In this sense, in December 1936 a 90 cm thick reinforced concrete vault was built on the ground of the first floor to prevent the works of art, housed on the lower floor, from being damaged in the event of bombardment and collapse. of the building. On this vault a meter of rice husk was accumulated (destined to act as a buffer) and, on it, a meter of earth. Another meter of earth was accumulated on the second floor and the terrace was covered with sandbags. In addition, an automatic humidity and temperature control system was installed. All this carried out following the project, and under the direction, of the architect of the Central Board of Salvage of the Artistic Treasure, José Lino Vaamonde.