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Gate of St Martin in Itri: the medieval entrance with a secret passage for latecomers
Located in the historic centre of Itri, Porta San Martino (St Martin’s Gate) is one of the surviving entrances in the defensive city walls commissioned by the Caetani family after the year 1250. It serves as the final landmark before reaching the castle, which is perched upon the highest rock of Sant’Angelo Hill. It is accessible on foot from Porta Mamurra, walking along Via San Martino and passing through Vico Giudea, the old Jewish quarter.
A detail that few people notice
There is a small opening on the left side of the portal: the guardiola (sentry box, or guardroom), once upon a time a lookout post for the soldiers on duty. It also served a less official purpose: those returning late at night, when the main gate shutters were already barred, could knock there, and be let in through a secondary passageway. The holes in the stone where the wooden beams used to slide to lock the gates are still visible today.
Recent history
The Convent of St Martin, from which the gate took its name, no longer exists, being destroyed during World War II. Today, the medieval entrance has been reinforced, and remains one of the town’s most charming passageways.
