Photo: sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Fortress / Tower, 13th century
Porta Saragozza
Building in Bologna, Italy
Bologna (BO), Emilia-Romagna
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Period
- Middle Ages, 13th century
- Coordinates
- 44°29′26″ N, 11°19′48″ E
- Address
- piazza di Porta Saragozza, 1
About
The Porta Saragozza is one of the historic gates in the medieval walls of Bologna, Italy.
Constructed between the 13th and 14th centuries, the gate was equipped by 1334 with a drawbridge spanning a surrounding moat. For several centuries, the gate saw limited use. However, in 1674, the construction of the long Portico di San Luca—which connects the city center to the Basilica della Beata Vergine di San Luca—transformed its role. The gate became the starting point for the annual religious procession of the sacred icon to the sanctuary, and was thereafter also known as the Porta Sacra or Porta dei Pellegrini (Holy Gate or Gate of the Pilgrims).
In 1859, concordant with a rising movement to restore medieval remnants in Italian cities, the architect Giuseppe Mengoli, replaced the mediaeval cassero with the present one by connecting it with two crenellated arches to the two lateral cylindrical great towers, giving it its present castle-like form.
About nine of the original twelve gates remain in the third set of circumvallating 14th-century walls (Cerchia del Mille) of Bologna.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Porta Saragozza».
Timeline
- 13th centuryBuilt
Events and people from Wikidata (CC0).
Photos
Getting there
Bologna CentraleTrain, nearest
2.0 km as the crow flies
Porta Saragozzapiazza di Porta Saragozza, 1
Aeroporto di Bologna "Guglielmo Marconi"5.9 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore fortresses and towers in Emilia-Romagna
Frequently asked questions
Where is Porta Saragozza?
Porta Saragozza is in Bologna, in the province of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna), Italy. Address: piazza di Porta Saragozza, 1. GPS coordinates: 44.49052, 11.32989.
How old is Porta Saragozza?
Wikidata dates it to the 13th century.
What else is there to see near Porta Saragozza?
Nearby you’ll find: Museo della Beata Vergine di San Luca (0 m away), Portico di San Luca (0 m away), Porticoes of Bologna (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
- Bologna, porta saragozza 02 — sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 0040 - Bologna, Porta Saragozza - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 9 giugno 2012 — G.dallorto, Attribution
- 0041 - Bologna, Porta Saragozza - Foto Giovanni Dall'Orto, 9 giugno 2012 — G.dallorto, Attribution
- Bologna - Porta Saragozza (1 of 1) — Michele Ursino, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bologna – Porta Saragozza (xilografia) — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain
- Bologna Porta Saragozza Esterno 1 — Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bologna Porta Saragozza Interno — Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bologna, porta saragozza 01 — sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Case di via Saragozza vista attraverso la porta omonima - panoramio — Carlo Pelagalli, CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences