The Porta San Frediano was the westernmost gate in the 13th-century walls of the Oltrarno section of

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

, region of

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

, Italy. It is located where Borgo San Frediano becomes Via Pisana. This was the access gate to the road to

Pisa Pisa ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in Tuscany, Central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for the Leaning Tow ...

History

This ancient gate is attributed to the architect

Andrea Pisano Andrea Pisano (Pontedera 12901348 Orvieto) also known as Andrea da Pontedera, was an Italian sculptor and architect. Biography Pisano initially learned the trade of a goldsmith. He later became an apprentice of Mino di Giovanni, about 1300, a ...

, and is named after the nearby church of San Frediano, which was rebuilt as the church of San Frediano in Cestello. The gate was finished in 1332. In 1363 the Blessed Paola of the Monastery of the Angioli had a vision of Saint John the Baptist blessing Florence. This vision was interpreted as a premonition that the Florentines would defeat the Pisan army at the Battle of Cascina. Through this gate, King

Charles VIII of France Charles VIII, called the Affable (; 30 June 1470 – 7 April 1498), was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. He succeeded his father Louis XI at the age of 13. His elder sister Anne acted as regent jointly with her husband Peter II, Du ...

entered Florence. A depiction of the gate in c. 1494 can be seen in a painting by

Filippino Lippi Filippino Lippi (probably 1457 – 18 April 1504) was an Italian Renaissance painter mostly working in Florence, Italy during the later years of the Early Renaissance and first few years of the High Renaissance. He also worked in Rome for a ...

, namely the ''Madonna and Child with Saint John among Saints Martin of Tours and Catherine of Alexandria'' found in the Nerli Chapel of the church of

Santo Spirito, Florence The Basilica di Santo Spirito ("Basilica of the Holy Spirit") is a church in Florence, Italy. Usually referred to simply as Santo Spirito, it is located in the Oltrarno quarter, facing the square with the same name. The interior of the building ...

.La città medievale
by Jacques Le Goff, page 25. The gate still has its large wooden and metal doors.

References

{{Authority control Gates of Florence