San Giovanni alla Murata Gate

The gate gives access to the Murata from the southern side. It was built in 1504 to a design by Antonio da Sangallo. It is part of a larger reconstruction that affected this part of the enclosure, from the ‘Campanone’ tower to the keep of the fortress.

Inside, adjoining the gate and embedded in the embankment, there is a large cistern that collects rainwater and groundwater, access to which has been walled up for security reasons. Tradition says that, despite numerous attempts, no one has ever managed to measure its depth. Due to the presence of this cistern, this door is still called, by the local elders, the ‘Purtaza dla Zisterna’. In ancient times, however, it was called ‘Porta di ferro’ (Iron door), because it was fitted with frames covered with metal sheets.

Externally there was, superimposed on the arch, a sentry box with a plumb line to defend the entrance. On the left side, the door was protected by several loopholes on the side of a bastion, which is now hidden from view by more recent buildings built behind the curtain wall.

How to get there: By car SS 67 Tosco-Romagnola 10 km from Forlì.