THE GATE
The opening of the new Savonarola gate in 1530 completed the extensive renovation works of the western front of the Walls of Padua, carried out under the guidance of captain general Francesco Maria della Rovere.
In the second gate he designed, after the San Giovanni gate, Verona's architect Giovanni Maria Falconetto brought the re-proposition of the Roman triumphal arch in Renaissance terms to perfection, using the white of the Istrian stone over the grey of the Euganean trachyte on the facades, with a charming chiaroscuro effect.
Inside, he created an elegant room, peculiar and unexpected, albeit fairly unpractical, that was also inspired by Roman examples. A design that would soon be repeated in the Odeo Cornaro.
The new gate replaced the one of the same name belonging to the fourteenth century Carraresi walls, which opened on the old road to Vivenza (borgo, now via Savonarola).
GALLERIA
THE MURA VIVE STATION
Access to Porta Savonarola is in via Raggio di Sole, at the corner with corso Milano.
Reception
It is located in the casemate to the left of the gate.
In the reception area you will find the short introductory video to the Walls of Padua, common to each station, and a second video that lets you explore the gate from every angle thanks to a 3D rendering. The videos are captioned in English.
You will also find a QR code that will let you download the contents of the MuraVive app specific to the gate to your smartphone (the app itself is downloadable for free from your app store). The app is available in both Italian and English.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIOVISUAL INSTALLATION
The staff will then take you inside the gate (in groups of max 20 people, every half hour), where an audiovisual installation, projected on the walls around you, will tell you the history through the words of the protagonists, from doge Andrea Gritti to captain general Bartolomeo d’Alviano to architect Giovanni Maria Falconetto.
Foreign visitors may use headphones provided free of charge to listen to English dubbing. Headphones are available at the reception desk.
Hearing-impaired visitors may use dubbing in sign language (Italian only), and Italian transcription on tablet available free of charge at the reception desk).
The Visit
At the end of the projection, you can begin your self-guided visit using the MuraVive app, which will show you and explain every detail of the gate and will let you see what it looked like in the course of time. The visit begins inside the gate and continues outside.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
To be able to watch the audiovisual installation inside the gate, booking is recommended.
Reservation is REQUIRED for groups of more than 5 persons.
For opening days and hours and instructions for making a reservation, please check the INFORMATION page.
ACCESSIBILITY
The Porta Savonarola station is fully accessible.
Porta Savonarola
via Raggio di Sole, at the corner with corso Milano
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