Porta Galliera

Porta Galliera is an imposing medieval gate in Bologna, located in Piazza XX Settembre, in the northern part of the historical center of the city. Porta Galliera is the most decorated of all the remaining gates of Bologna.

SHORT HISTORY

Porta Galliera was built at the beginning of the 13th century, when the third wall of the city was raised. With a length of about 7.6 kilometers and a polygonal shape, the outer wall of Bologna had 12 gates equipped with a drawbridge, to cross the external moat.

The gate was rebuilt in the 14th century, in conjunction with the works for the construction of the nearby Galliera Castle (Castello di Galliera), erected between 1330 and 1333 by Cardinal Bertrando del Poggetto for the Pope John XXII. The fortress was however destroyed in 1334 by the Bolognese population rebelling against the Papal State.

In the 17th century, the gate was subject to several renovations, and between 1661 and 1663, due to the poor state of the original foundations, it was completely rebuilt based on a design by Bartolomeo Provaglia.

Porta Galliera witnessed the final event of the insurrection of August 8, 1848. Through the gate, the last left open after all the others were closed by the citizens, the Austrian soldiers fled the city. A plaque placed inside the archway remembers the Bolognese who fell in that circumstance.

On August 28, 1944, due to its proximity to the railway station, the gate was severely damaged by an Allied air raid and subsequently repaired.

Porta Galliera undergone several restorations – between 1933 and 1934, between 2007 and 2009 and, more recently, in 2019.

HOW TO GET THERE

Porta Galliera is located only 300 meters away from the Bologna Centrale railway station. The Central Bus Station of Bologna is located near the gate, on the bus Lines 11, 27, 36, 37, 62, 68, 87, 88, 92, 97, 98, 181, 185, 445 and 450.