There used to be a huge wall around Florence. It was built between 1284-1330 and had several different ports of entry. The walls were demolished in the 1800s to accommodate modern urban growth, but the porte (plural of porta) were left as monuments. Now traffic goes right under them!
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Porta al Prato Built in 1285. We walked through this one our first week taking the bus to church.
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Porta al Prato-Leopolda, a tower very near Porta al Prato.
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- Porta Romana (1326): I came across this after a long unplanned walk in the hills near our apartment. It is large, wide, and stunning. It has a 14th-century fresco by Franciabigio. Henry doesn't want to see anymore frescoes.
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- Porta San Niccolò (1324): It is the only porta to still stand at its original height of 115 feet. The others were reduced in height in 1529 (on the advice of Michelangelo) to make them less vulnerable to artillery fire. I went on a bike ride to find this porta. As a bonus I walked up the hill and found the Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks the city and is a popular place to watch the sunset.
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Porto San Frediano (1332–1334): This is located most near our apartment. It has massive *original* oak doors. Traffic goes right under it. The bus barely fits! It also has a portion of the original city walls attached (see below).
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- Porta San Giorgio (1324):
Porta alla Croce (1284): The area outside the gate was used for executions. - Porta San Gallo (1285): On the northern side of Florence.
Porta alla Croce (1284): The area outside the gate was used for executions.
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