Porta Paganora

Porta Paganora or Torre di Porta Paganora is an ancient tower built in the second half of the 14th century by the Visconti of Milan, rulers of the city at the time, as part of the fortification works of the new Citadel.A passage at the base was integrated into the defensive tower which acted as an entrance to the new fortified town nucleus, in the form of a long vault with gates at both ends.The gate fell into disuse at the beginning of the 16th century along with the rest of the Visconti fortifications inside the city, which were largely demolished by the Venetians.The tower, together with others such as Porta Bruciata, survived the destruction as it was reused with a residential and commercial function.The tower, which still exists, was suffocated by new buildings, but the opening at the base remained as an access lane to the Paganora square and to the rear of the Teatro Grande, which is still used today.