Porta dei Vacca, Medieval city gate in Genoa, Italy.
Porta dei Vacca is a medieval city gate in Genoa with two round towers connected by a pointed arch. Both towers display crenellations at the top, a style typical of medieval fortifications.
The gate was built in 1155 as part of the Barbarossa walls and took its name from the Vachero family, who owned numerous buildings in the surrounding area. This family was important to how the neighborhood developed around the gate.
The interior passage displays carved capitals on paired columns that show how medieval craftspeople worked in this region. You can see these details today when you walk through and look at the stonework above your head.
The gate is located in the old town and is easy to reach on foot from other attractions like the Doge's Palace. The area is somewhat hilly, so wear comfortable shoes and allow time to explore the surrounding streets.
The tower on the mountain side was integrated into Palazzo Serra during the 18th century and is only visible from outside today. The tower on the sea side regained its visible form through restoration work in 1960.
Location: Genoa
Inception: 1155
Address: Via delle fontane
GPS coordinates: 44.41294,8.92723
Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:06
Genoa blends Renaissance architecture with views of the sea and mountains rising behind the city. In the streets of the old town, palaces from the 16th and 17th centuries stand with frescoed interiors and marble portals. The harbor stretches along the coast, where old cranes sit beside modern museums. From elevated points like Spianata di Castelletto, you see across the rooftops to the water, while the alleys of the center hold churches, squares, and covered galleries.
Walls of Genoa
2 m
Basilica della Santissima Annunziata del Vastato
162 m
Via del Campo 29 Rosso
104 m
Colonna infame (Genoa)
90 m
San Filippo Neri
157 m
Palazzo Balbi Giacomo e Pantaleo
177 m
Durazzo-Pallavicini Palace
165 m
Museo del Risorgimento
182 m
Palazzo Belimbau
104 m
Palazzo Nicolò Lomellini
154 m
Palazzo Stefano Lomellini
198 m
Palazzo Centurione Gio. Battista
168 m
San Sisto
149 m
Santa Fede
29 m
Palazzo Balbi Piovera Francesco
188 m
Palazzo Balbi Gio. Francesco
151 m
Palazzo Durazzo-Cattaneo Adorno
35 m
Palazzo Cipriano Pallavicini
181 m
Palazzo Centurione Cosma
192 m
Palazzo Lomellini-Serra
12 m
Palazzo Filippo Lomellini
186 m
Palazzo Lomellini-Dodero
184 m
Palazzo Giorgio Centurione
186 m
Palazzo Bartolomeo Invrea
85 m
Palazzo Pallavicini Fabiani
167 m
Palazzo Cristoforo Spinola
177 m
Palazzo Saluzzo
170 m
Palazzo Antonio Doria Invrea
104 mReviews
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