Porta Santa Maria

Porta Santa Maria is one of the historic gates through Anagni's acropolis walls. First recorded in 1280 as Porta degli Idoli, it was rebuilt during the sixteenth-century fortification of the papal town and heavily damaged in 1944.

Why it matters

The gate marks the beginning of Anagni's historic centre and opens onto the ancient route of the Via Major. Its surviving structure brings together medieval documentation, Renaissance military architecture and twentieth-century wartime damage.

What to notice

Rusticated ashlar frames the arch, with the Medici arms of Pope Pius IV on its keystone. A plaque on the left bears words attributed to Marcus Aurelius in a letter to his teacher Fronto, praising the abundance of religious buildings in Anagni. The gate's former name, Porta degli Idoli, appears in documents from 1280; it was later also known as Porta Umberto.

Context and history

The present gate took shape during the fortification works begun under Pope Paul III in 1543 and continued under Pius IV in 1564. Torquato Conti directed the defences, and Giovanni Antonio Dosio designed the gate as part of a wider programme of works around the town. Bombing and German mines caused severe damage in 1944, after which the structure was restored.