Porta Solestà, Medieval city gate in Ascoli Piceno, Italy

Porta Solestà is a medieval gate made from travertine stone with a large arch and smooth walls, positioned at the southern end of the Augustan Bridge spanning the Tronto River. It connects Via Elisabetta Trebbiani with Rua delle Stelle, functioning as a passage between the city center and the ancient Roman bridge structure.

Porta Solestà was built in 1230 on the orders of Fildesmilio da Mogliano, podestà of Ascoli, probably reusing material from an earlier Roman gate. A Latin inscription in Gothic characters on the right-hand block records the commission. A higher inscription commemorates the 1450 peace and confederation with Fermo, and the shields of both cities are carved together above the arch.

The gate's other name, Porta Cappuccina, comes from 1544, when commissioner Angelini let the Capuchin friars build a small church beside it. Two inscriptions remain on the stonework: one in Gothic characters records the 1230 construction, the other, set higher, marks the 1450 peace and confederation with Fermo, with the coats of arms of both cities carved in one shield above the arch.

The gate serves as a clear landmark for orientation, with the two adjacent streets clearly marked and easily accessible from this point. Visitors can use it as a natural junction to explore both the city center and the bridge structure, which are straightforward to reach on foot.

The Latin verse carved on the right-hand stone block records that Fildesmilio da Mogliano, podestà of Ascoli, ordered the gate built in 1230, calling the city one that a river encircles on every side. Look for the Gothic lettering of the inscription.