Photo: sailko, CC BY 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
Fortress / Tower, 1332
Porta San Frediano
City gate in Florence, Italy
- Within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centre of Florence”
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Period
- Middle Ages, 1332
- Coordinates
- 43°46′14″ N, 11°14′24″ E
History and description
The Porta San Frediano was the westernmost gate in the 13th-century walls of the Oltrarno section of Florence, region of Tuscany, Italy. It is located where Borgo San Frediano becomes Via Pisana. This was the access gate to the road to Pisa.
History
This ancient gate is attributed to the architect Andrea Pisano, 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.
King Charles VIII of France entered Florence through this gate in 1494. A depiction of the gate in around that time can be seen in a painting by Filippino Lippi, 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 gate still has its large wooden and metal doors.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Porta San Frediano».
Photos
Getting there
Firenze Santa Maria NovellaTrain, nearest
1.0 km as the crow flies
Porta San Frediano
Aeroporto Firenze Amerigo Vespucci5.3 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
Loading map…
Nearby
See on the mapMore fortresses and towers in Tuscany
- UNESCO
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Porta San Frediano?
Porta San Frediano is in Florence, in the province of Firenze (Tuscany), Italy. GPS coordinates: 43.77047, 11.24006.
How old is Porta San Frediano?
Wikidata dates it to 1332.
What else is there to see near Porta San Frediano?
Nearby you’ll find: Arcangelo Raffaello former monastery (100 m away), Santa Rosa, Florence (200 m away), Teatro di Cestello (300 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 san frediano 02 — sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Manifattura fiorentina, chiavi e bolgetta di porta san frediano, xviii-xix secolo 01 — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Porta s. frediano, 01 — sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Porta s. frediano, postierla 01 — sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Porta san frediano 01 — sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Porta San Frediano by night — Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Porta San Frediano-Florence — Yair Haklai, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Porta san frediano, camminamento delle mura 01 — Francesco Bini, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chiavi di Firenze IMG 0080 — Assianir, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences