Puerta de la Ciudadela is located at the entrance of Ciudad Vieja adjacent to the Plaza Independencia in Montevideo Uruguay. It was built in 1742 and was the original fortification of the old city. The construction of the fortification took over 40 years.

Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay, located on the country's southern coast along the Río de la Plata. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country's total population) in an area of 201 square kilometers (78 sq mi).