Porta Romana

The Porta Romana gate faces Rome and is protected from the outside by a square tower. In the past, it was the only access to the fortress and it was probably equipped with a drawbridge (which seems to be remembered in the nearby Ponte del Ponte), iron railing, double gates and caditoia drains.
Stone and wooden protrusions allowed the soldiers to lean out from the walls and throw stones, hot oil and shoot arrows on the enemies that came under the wall.
On the outside of the door there is a coat of arms, perhaps of the twelfth century, which seems to be a castellated fortress on a red background with two transversal white stripes. On the inside there is a wall painting depicting a Madonna with Child that is waving vigorously in the arms of the Virgin.
(Elisa Potenziani)