Originally intended to afford Havana's citizens protection from pirates and bandits, they were constructed with several gates which were closed at night. With the expansion of the city, however, parts of the walls were demolished, starting as early as 1603, until only those sections standing today remained intact.

First section: Calles ?gido and Desamparados. Puerta del Arsenal. This is the largest preserved segment of the old wall.
Second section: Garitas del ?ngel, opposite the Revolution's Museum.
Third section: La Maestranza, Avenida del Puerto. These walls, finally completed in the 18th century and considered by many at that time to be a pointless and expensive project, are an imposing remnant of the city's colonial past.

As most walls, this one was not useful for defending the city. It's construction was begun in 1674 and was finished in 1797, but it was realized that it divided the city and hindered it's progress it was demolished in 1863.