Porta Romana, founded in 1328, is the largest gate in Florence after San Frediano; in ancient times, it allowed people to leave the city in the direction of Siena and Rome.
The central lily, a work by Giovanni Pisano in 1331, is made of marble, while the two side headstones, also in white marble, commemorate the visit of the Medici Pope Leo X in 1515 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in 1536.
Today, there are five openings around the door; in the past it was only the one on the left, the other four were added in 1930 to facilitate the traffic and the access to Boboli Gardens. Finally, there were originally statues on the outside of the door, but today only those of the Madonna and Child, St. Peter and St. Paul remain, which we can admire today under the steps of the courtyard of the Bargello Museum.
Porta Romana
Piazzale di Porta Romana, 50125 Firenze FI, Italia
