Description

A symbol of the towered city, the twelve gates along the city walls date from the thirteenth century. Now restored and reopened, today, they are still a marker between the limits of the ancient heart of the city and the innermost suburbs. They were built to accommodate important military and economic functions: they had toll-draw bridges which controlled the streams of carts and people entering and leaving the city. The names of the various areas within the historic centre derive from the names of these gates. The only gates of which no traces remain are the Porta San Mamolo and the Porta S. Isaia. Porta Castiglione, Porta Saragozza, Porta S. Felice, Porta Galliera, Porta Mascarella, Porta San Donato, Porta San Vitale, Porta Maggiore and Porta Santo Stefano are still standing, even if some no longer retain any real traces of their original appearance.