Porta Paola

Ferrara's Porta Paola was built in 1612 on the site of an earlier gate of the same name that had been demolished a few years earlier. It was architect Giovanni Battista Aleotti who directed the work of its reconstruction, so as to once again guarantee access to the city.

Made of ashlar-worked white marble and richly decorated, the façade of Porta Paola features a curvilinear tympanum resting on some side pilasters. Its style bears witness to the transition from the Mannerist to the Baroque age.

Unlike Porta degli Angeli, Porta Paola is not part of the ancient circle of walls of Ferrara, but stands as a separate structure with its façade facing Bologna. It was in fact separated from the walls in 1901 to allow easier access to its premises, at that time used as offices. The traffic of people and vehicles was, however, regulated by two side gates that remained open only during the day.

Its name is linked to Pope Paul V, who sat on the papal throne between 1605 and 1621, known for having participated in the persecution of Galileo Galilei and financed the last works of the St. Peter's factory in Rome, whose name the church still bears on its façade.

The function of Porta Paola over the centuries

The gate underwent many transformations over the centuries, but its main function was that of a military garrison. There were several rooms inside the gate for the guards whose role was to control whoever entered the city.

An important change of use occurred, however, in 1842, when Porta Paola was transformed into a tax collection office and public weighing house. In the 1940s, the gate was then inhabited by the Cassa di Risparmio di Ferrara, while in more recent years its façade was restored (2001). The remains of an ancient boat were found during the restoration work, bearing witness to the fact that the city was once connected to the river Po by a dense network of canals.

Damaged by the 2012 earthquake, the gate is currently open again to the public, who can visit the Porta Paola Documentation Centre, dedicated to the history of the walls of Ferrara.

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