Porta di Santa Maria, Medieval gate in Chioggia, Italy
The Porta di Santa Maria is a medieval gate in Chioggia featuring a tall stone tower with an arched passageway underneath. The structure marks the southern entrance to the historic center with its wide stone passage.
The gate was built around 1300 and later renamed Porta Garibaldi to commemorate Giuseppe Garibaldi's Expedition of the Thousand in 1860. This renaming reflected the Italian unification movement and Garibaldi's central role in that historical process.
A stone lion carved into the archway represents the Venetian Republic and was added during the 1520 renovation by Podestà Gerolamo Barbarigo. This symbol would have announced Venice's control over the city to anyone passing through.
The gate sits at the intersection of several pedestrian routes and offers easy access to the historic district. The wide stone passage allows comfortable passage through and is simple to locate when approaching from the southern edge of the city.
Inside the tower, a Latin inscription marks the passage of Pope Pius VI on March 10, 1782, during his journey to Vienna. This religious encounter shows the gate was significant enough to be noted on a papal travel route.
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