Porta Ticinese

Porta Ticinese means the gate to the Ticino river. As the 12th century city gate has actually been moved to a new location in the 16th century, the name Porta Ticinese now actually refers to two city gates in Milan and a district with the same name.

The city gate pictured, with its distinctly huge pillars, is the 16th century city gate, that was rebuild in the 19th century with a neoclassical design. This gate which used to be part of the Spanish walls of Milan can be found on the Piazza Ventiquattro Maggio. It’s best to visit the city gate either when you go shopping or around dinner time, as it’s located in the romantic Navigli district, where you will also find the canals of Milan and an abundance of restaurants where you can settle down.

If you follow the street directly north of Piazza Ventiquattro Maggio then you will discover the original 12th century city gate, next to the Colonne di San Lorenzo and the Basilica of San Lorenzo Maggiore, one of the oldest churches in Milan from the 4th century when Milan was still the capital of the Western Roman empire. This medieval city gate has the design of a brick tower with large arches that you can walk under. The 12th century gate was part of the medieval walls of Milan that were supposed to protect the city from attacks from Barbarossa.