Porte storiche: Porta Napoli e Porta Lecce

Locorotondo's historic centre is marked by two entrances: Porta Vecchia, also known as Porta Napoli, and Porta Nuova, also called Porta Lecce. The first opens onto Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, while the second's lane leads towards the Church of San Giorgio Martire.

Why it matters

The gates show how the hilltop borgo meets the streets and countryside around it. Their paired names distinguish the old and new entrances and preserve the routes by which Locorotondo's historic centre is approached.

What to notice

Porta Napoli connects with Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, the square known as the old town's salotto. Porta Lecce is linked by a rising lane with the domed mother church of San Giorgio Martire. Together, these thresholds frame different parts of the compact historic centre.

Context and history

Locorotondo's borgo is documented in a 1195 diploma of Henry VI, which records the place among the possessions of the Benedictine monastery of Santo Stefano in Monopoli. The two principal entrances are known as Porta Vecchia/Porta Napoli and Porta Nuova/Porta Lecce, names that preserve the distinction between the older and newer thresholds of the historic centre.