The Porta Nolana is the remnant of one of the medieval city gates in
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. It is located in Piazza Nolana, near a local train station,
Napoli Porta Nolana with the
Circumvesuviana
Circumvesuviana () is a railway network in the east of the Naples metropolitan area, previously run by a company of the same name, now operated by Ente Autonomo Volturno. Electrically powered throughout, the system uses the narrow gauge of ...
lines, and a bustling local pedestrian market,
Mercato di Porta Nolano, known for seafood. It takes its name from the road that lead to
Nola
Nola is a town and a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, southern Italy. It lies on the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines. It is traditionally credited as the diocese that introduced bells to Christian wor ...
.
The gate was erected in the 15th century by the Spanish authorities using designs of
Giuliano da Maiano
Giuliano da Maiano (1432–1490) was an Italian architect, intarsia-worker, and sculptor, the elder brother of Benedetto da Maiano, with whom he often collaborated.
Biography
He was born in the village of Maiano, near Fiesole, where his fathe ...
, to encompass the growing city, and replace the interior gate of the district of Forcella, also known as ''del Cannavaro'', which had been located near the
Basilica dell'Annunziata. This gate, unlike it contemporary
Porta San Gennaro
The Porta San Gennaro is one of the ancient gates of the city of Naples, located just southwest of the edge of the Piazza Cavour, just off the busy Via Foria and leading to a pedestrian alley, just east and parallel to Via Duomo.
History
This is ...
, has lost its frescoes by
Mattia Preti
Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John.
Life
Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Ca ...
, but like
Porta Capuana
The Porta Capuana is an ancient city gate in Naples, Italy. The gate also gives name to the zone, which is one of the ten boroughs of Naples. This zone being part of the Fourth Municipality.
In spite of the name, the portal is not the ancien ...
, it retains the flanking bastions (towers) made of
Piperno rock: the ''Torre della Fede'' (Tower of Faith) to the south, and the ''Torre della Speranza'' (Tower of Hope) to the North. The external facade of the arch has a relief of
Ferrante I on horseback.
Naples: From the Italy Experts
edited by Touring Club of Italy, page 67.
References
Gates of Naples
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