Towers, gates, fortresses

The fortification system of Florence has been frequently transformed during the past. There have been more city walls (from the Roman to the Medieval ones by Arnolfo di Cambio) with a lot of towers and gates, while during the sixteenth century the two city fortresses were also built.

It is still possible to see some traces of Roman walls - corresponding to the area delimited by via Tornabuoni, via Cerretani, via del Proconsolo, via Porta Rossa-Condotta - and of the Commune period (1170) built along today’s via de’ Fossi, via del Giglio, via de’ Pucci, via Bufalini, via Verdi and via Benci, but the most noticeable remains are the ones belonging to the last walls built by Arnolfo di Cambio between 1284 and 1333.

These last city walls were demolished on the mid-nineteenth century, to build the new ring road, viali di circonvallazione (between 1865 and 1871), when Florence became the provisional capital of Italy, nonetheless, the monumental gates were preserved. North of the Arno river: Porta alla croce in Piazza Beccaria, Porta San Gallo in piazza della Libertà, Porta a Faenza (then incorporated in the Fortezza da Basso), Porta al Prato.
South of the Arno: it is still possible to see a long part of the last walls (along via Belvedere south of Boboli Garden, and viale Francesco Petrarca) and some gates, such as Porta San Niccolò. This tower, recently opened to the public - but currently closed because of the coronavirus emergency - is the only one still conserving its previous height (115 ft). All the other ones have been lowered around 1530, being too vulnerable and, at the same time, on the top, cannons could be quickly hauled into position in order to defend the city.

The two sixteenth-century fortresses (Fortezza da Basso to the North and Forte Belvedere to the South) were connected to the Arnolfo city walls. The first fortress hosts fairs and exhibitions (guided tours, including the visit of the basement, are occasionally organized); Forte Belvedere is usually open in summer for art exhibitions (mostly contemporary art) and for guided tours including secret passages, as the Medici treasure room.

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