Assisana Gate

One of the prime assets of the Medieval Garden is the splendid architectural setting and atmosphere it belongs in. The main path through the garden follows the route of an Etrusco-Roman road leading south into the countryside. In the 13th century a new city gate, known as the Porta Assisana (Assisana Gate), was constructed on the southernmost side of the San Pietro Complex with a branch enabling travellers to reach San Francesco’s city of birth not far off.

In the 16th century the San Pietro Benedictine community asked the city authorities for permission to integrate this gate into the complex with the result that, in 1587, a new gate was erected nearby. The Porta Assisana (Assisana Gate) was originally flanked by two guard towers: one of these is still visible, the other was integrated into the complex buildings over the years. Thus, for five centuries this 13th century gateway has been part of the small monastery garden and is living proof of the city’s complex history of urban planning.