Porta Galliera
Located in the centre of Piazza XX Settembre, Porta Galliera is one of the 12 gates of Bologna that belonged to the third and last circle of the city walls, destroyed in the early 20th century.
Its name derives from the village of Galliera, a small town in the plains a few kilometres from Ferrara connected to the gate by a straight road. The position of Porta Galliera is perfectly aligned with Via Galliera, which was once the main road connecting Bologna and the surrounding areas. The parallel Via Indipendenza, today a much more important city thoroughfare, was built at a later stage.
What to see around Porta Galliera
Starting from the side of the square facing Via Indipendenza, not far from Porta Galliera you can see the remains of
the Rocca di Galliera (Galliera Fortress), built in 1330 at the behest of Cardinal Bertrando del Poggetto and frescoed with works by great artists such as Giotto, which were lost when the building was
destroyed by the people of Bologna. The fortress was then rebuilt, only to be destroyed again, and so on four times. The gate was also demolished by the people, so much so that the current structure dates back to 1660-1663.
Another place worthy of note is undoubtedly the
Montagnola garden, located right next to the ruins of the ancient fortress, overlooking Via Indipendenza. From the square, one can admire the beautiful flight of steps leading to the park, called the Pincio, built in 1896 by Tito Azzolini and Attilio Muggia. The jewel in the crown of the staircase is the
Fountain of the Nymph at its foot, the work of the same architects. The fountain depicts a maiden fleeing from a
sea monster by clinging to the horse at her side. The mischievous Bolognese, however, gave another interpretation to the complex: the nymph is supposedly fleeing from Giambologna's statue of Neptune, her alleged lover, who had had her private parts cut off by order of Pope Pius IV, which the pontiff considered excessive.
The spaces below the Pincio steps were also used as an
air-raid shelter during the Second World War.
The third circle of walls in Bologna
As we mentioned earlier, Porta Galliera was part of the city's third and largest circle of walls. Since Roman times, the historical centre of Bologna was in fact
surrounded by walls, which grew wider and wider as the city grew in size. Very little remains of the first circle, the Roman one; the second, dating back to the 11th century, is still visible in some sections and in the so-called torresotti.
