Arco di Porta Ticinese
Neoclassical toll gate of ionic columns and a triumphal arch, once part of the medieval city walls.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Arco di Porta Ticinese in Milan opens in eleven sixty-two, when Frederick Barbarossa's soldiers tore down Milan's medieval walls and salted its earth, destroying the gate that once stood on this spot. It follows the architect Luigi Cagnola's Napoleonic-era rebuild of a humble customs post, nicknamed Porta Cicca, into a triumphal monument with ionic columns, briefly renamed Porta Marengo after one of Napoleon's victories. Cagnola's twin stone pavilions were built to flank travelers entering the city, and to tax them.
This audio guide was created using AI.
Similar places
Arco della Pace
Neoclassical triumphal arch crowned by a bronze six-horse chariot, its statues later spun to face away from France.
Arches of Ancient Porta Nuova
Twin medieval brick arches set with reused ancient Roman funerary busts and a marble tabernacle relief.
Colonne di San Lorenzo
Sixteen ancient marble columns salvaged from Roman buildings, reassembled into a grand entrance.
Duomo di Milano
Gothic marble cathedral of soaring spires and thousands of statues, built over nearly six centuries.
Piazza del Duomo
Rectangular civic square framed by historic palaces and a glittering glass-iron shopping arcade.
Modern Art Gallery
Neoclassical villa turned modern art museum, briefly Napoleon's residence, rebuilt after a bombing.