The Walls were conceived with the purpose of protecting Cartagena de Indias from the continuous attacks it suffered. Its construction was carried out in stages, beginning in 1586 by Bautista Antonelli, an Italian engineer at the service of the Spanish Crown. then cristóbal de roda would come in 1608 to fortify, who would fortify almost all the part of the city that faces the open sea. From 1631 to 1633 it would be the turn of Francisco de Murga who fortified the entire Getsemaní neighborhood. In 1669 the engineer Juan Betín had the task of repairing the walls destroyed by the sea in 1669. The walls were subject to continuous attacks of the sea and a recent attack by the Baron of Pointis made Don Juan de Herrera y Sotomayor restart repairs. The Viceroy of Villalonga orders Herrera to construct submarine caissons forming a breakwater in front of the destroyed walls in 1721. Another breakwater was to be built on the path between Punta Icacos) and Tierrabomba by Antonio de Arévalo, the most renowned engineer who had worked in the city.