Santa Barbara church was built in 1757 for the Convent of the Salesas Reales, housing nuns belonging to the order of St. Francis de Sales. The convent was founded in 1748 by the Queen Bárbara de Braganza, wife of Ferdinand VI of Spain. The church, which stood next to the convent, was designed by Francisco Carlier in collaboration with Francisco Moradillo. In 1870, the monastery was closed, and the government used the monastery as the Palace of Justice, now as the Supreme Court. In 1891, the church was open to parish worship.
The exterior is noted for the statues of St. Francis de Sales and St Jeanne de Chantal, founders of the Order, sculpted by Alfonso Giraldo Vergaz. In the interior, are the burial tombs of Ferdinand VI and his wife. These were commissioned by Charles III of Spain and completed by the architect Francisco Sabatini and the sculptor Francisco Gutiérrez.
References:The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.
Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.