Photo: Sailko, CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Fortress / Tower
Porta alla Croce, Florence
- Within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centre of Florence”
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Coordinates
- 43°46′15″ N, 11°16′15″ E
About
The Porta alla Croce is a former gate of the Walls of Florence, locate east of the neighborhood of Santa Croce, in the Piazza Beccaria of Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. The gate was part of the fourth set of walls around Florence built in the late 13th century.
The Gate was once called Porta alla Croce al gorgo and also Porta Sant'Ambrogio. It is said that the name may derive from the legend that at this location San Miniato was made a martyr.
The Gate was refurbished in 1817-1818 under the reign of Grand Duke Ferdinando III of Lorraine, and in the outer lunette has a much degraded fresco depicting the Virgin and Saints by Michele Tosini. In the past, just outside this gate, was the site where official executions were performed.
The urban renewal of Florence (1865-1871) directed by Giuseppe Poggi demolished the walls and left this and other gates isolated in a traffic circles.
To the south of the gate is a plaque commemorating those fallen in World War I. Below is a fountain in poor state of conservation. The memorial was dedicated in 1925, completed in 1928, and two Fascist emblems were once present.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Porta alla Croce, Florence».
Photos
Getting there
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
Nearby
See on the mapMore fortresses and towers in Tuscany
- UNESCO
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Porta alla Croce, Florence?
Porta alla Croce, Florence is in Florence, in the province of Firenze (Tuscany), Italy. GPS coordinates: 43.77072, 11.27087.
What else is there to see near Porta alla Croce, Florence?
Nearby you’ll find: Palazzina Grottanelli (100 m away), La Nazione Building (100 m away), Teatro giardino Alhambra (100 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 9 photos
- Piazza Cesare Beccaria, porta alla croce 03 — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- C1.23 Firenze, Porta alla Croce — Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lapidario di san marco, iscrizione da porta alla croce, 1310 — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Odoardo borrani (attr.), porta fiorentina (antica porta alla croce) — Sailko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Piazza beccaria, porta alla croce 01 — sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Piazza Cesare Beccaria, porta alla croce 01 — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Piazza Cesare Beccaria, porta alla croce, cardini delle antiche porte 01 — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Piazza Cesare Beccaria, porta alla croce, lapide con livello acque durante l'alluvione del 1966, 01 — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Piazza Cesare Beccaria, porta alla croce, lapide del 1310 sostituita da una replica — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences