Photo: gaspa, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Coordinates
- 43°19′40″ N, 11°19′31″ E
- Address
- via di Camollia
History and description
Porta Camollìa is one of the northern portals in the medieval walls of Siena. It is located on via Camollia and opens inside the city into the Contrada of Istrice.
Consisting of three arches; the inner arch is surmounted by a circular marble bas-relief with the Roman Catholic IHS Christogram inside a sun symbol (San Bernardino Christogram). The outer facade has the Medici heraldic shield with a stone arch added in 1604 by Alessandro Casolani and decorated by Domenico Cafaggi. The inscription was placed to record the entry of Ferdinand I de' Medici into Siena, and states Cor magis tibi sena pandit (Siena shows a heart that is bigger than this gate). The two central figures hold the Medici coat of arms.
History
The name comes from the legend regarding the founding of Siena, that a soldier by the name of Camulio had been sent to Siena by the founder of Rome, Romulus, to capture his nephews Senio and Ascanio. However, Camulio instead stayed and built a town around the area of the portal. Over the centuries, this gate, which lead towards Florence was often the most defended. The original gate, built during the 13th century was razed during the 1555 siege of Siena. About forty meters outside of the gate, at the start of via Vittorio Emanuele II is the small renaissance-style Oratorio del Santo Sepolcro. A few hundred meters north along the same street rises the Antiporto di Camollia, an additional fortification built to defend this access to the Via Francigena.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Porta Camollia, Siena».
Photos
Getting there
SienaTrain, nearest
500 m as the crow flies
Porta Camollia, Sienavia di Camollia
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore fortresses and towers in Tuscany
- UNESCO
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Porta Camollia, Siena?
Porta Camollia, Siena is in Siena, in the province of Siena (Tuscany), Italy. Address: via di Camollia. GPS coordinates: 43.32770, 11.32540.
What else is there to see near Porta Camollia, Siena?
Nearby you’ll find: Palazzo Maccari (0 m away), Palazzo Luti (100 m away), Santa Maria in Portico a Fontegiusta (200 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
- Porta camollia siena — gaspa, CC BY 2.0
- Giorgio Vasari - The storming of the fortress near Porta Camollia in Siena - Google Art Project — Giorgio Vasari, Public domain
- Porta Camollia (Siena) 01 — Mongolo1984, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Siena, Porta Camollia (xilografia) — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Gabella 49, giovanni di lorenzo, vittoria di porta camollia, 1526 (post quem) 01 — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Giovanni di lorenzo cini, l'Immacolata Concezione protegge Siena durante la battaglia di Camollia, 1528, 01 — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Giovanni di lorenzo cini, l'Immacolata Concezione protegge Siena durante la battaglia di Camollia, 1528, 02 veduta — Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- La vittoria di Camollia del 1527, gennaio-dicembre di Cini Giovanni di Lorenzo — Giovanni di Lorenzo, Public domain
- PortaCamolliaFacadeDetail — LigaDue, CC BY 3.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences