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The Medieval Gates of Leonessa: two entrances facing in opposite directions
The historic centre of Leonessa (province of Rieti) is spindle-shaped: an elongated oval that narrows at both ends. The city gates were located at these tips. To the east stands Porta Aquilana, dating back to the 13th century, facing towards L'Aquila. It was also known as the "Kingdom Gate" (Porta del Regno), as it marked the border with the Kingdom of Sicily. In the segmental archway, a fragment of the ancient iron portcullis is still visible—one of the few original defensive mechanisms preserved in the Latium region.
The reconstructed gate
To the north lies Porta Spoletina, a 14th-century structure featuring a crenellated tower in pink stone where Corso San Giuseppe Leonessano ends. The original structure no longer exists, what is visible today is the result of a 1456 reconstruction. It was also called the "State Gate" (Porta di Stato), because the road starting here led into Church-owned territories—the other side of the border that Leonessa guarded.
The defensive system
Along with the Angevin Tower (Torre Angioina) on Mount Tilia—a fortress commissioned by Charles of Anjou in 1278 and now in partial disrepair—the two gates are all that remains of what was once a powerful defensive system. Leonessa was founded on a strategic border: that between the Kingdom of Sicily and the Patrimony of Saint Peter.
