Porta Santa Maria was the gateway to the Acropolis of Anagni, the highest part of the city where today is the Cathedral of Santa Maria, and it was also called Porta degli Idoli (Gate of the Idols).
The current door is not the original one because it was damaged during the siege by the Spaniards in the sixteenth century. Its shape and its new position were determined as part of the rebuilding of the wall protection system that Pope Pius IV authorised, whose emblem is located right in the middle of the arch of the door.
The door therefore has a sixteenth century style with fine stone masonry decorations and a slab that recalls the words of Emperor Marcus Aurelius during his visit to the city.
The door was damaged by the bombings of the Second World War and has been faithfully rebuilt.
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