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Florence used to be surrounded by high defensive walls.
Today, just a small portion of the last walls remains but, fortunately, the doors (porte) and a few towers still survive.
Historic and Protected Site · San Marco · 2 tips and reviews
Visit Tuscany: The construction of the door began in 1285, as shown by an inscription, and the keys are today conserved in the Florence Historical and Topographical Museum. http://bit.ly/1i84A83
Visit Tuscany: Here there's Porta alla Croce (1284). The name comes from the cross that was once here, indicating the place where, according to tradition, San Miniato, the 1° martyr of Florence, was beheaded.
Historic and Protected Site · Santa Croce · 3 tips and reviews
Visit Tuscany: The Zecca fiorentina is where the city’s “golden florins” were coined. Tower is expected to house the Museum of the Florin in the future.
Visit Tuscany: It was the door/tower from which the southern part of the city walls began; Is the only door that retains its original height. Since 2011, visitors can climb the tower during the summer months.
Historic and Protected Site · Michelangelo · 1 tip
Visit Tuscany: This door of the 1320 is inserted in one of the few well-preserved sections of the wall and this gives it considerable charm. The wooden door is a recent copy of the original one.
Historic and Protected Site · Michelangelo · 1 tip
Visit Tuscany: The door (1324) has a bas-relief of the 14° century in the lunette of St. George slaying the dragon by Andrea da Pontedera and a Madonna and Child with Sts Leonardo and George by Bicci di Lorenzo.
Visit Tuscany: The door was built between 1332 and 1334. This is the only door in which the original wooden door is best preserved. Above the arch, on the side facing the city, you can see the crest of Florence.
Visit Tuscany: It is now basically converted into a traffic-island. The name is derived from that of the forecourt, once called “Il Prato” (The Field), because it was not paved and was used for the cattle market.
Visit Tuscany: One of the hidden doors: it was built on the spot where the walls formed a corner, guarding a small door used by the military to access the walkway. The “Serpe” (serpent) was a famous head-guard.
Historic and Protected Site · San Jacopino · 21 tips and reviews
Visit Tuscany: Hidden door: a 14° century door "Porta a Faenza" that can be identified by looking the Fortezza from the outside (it was incorporated in the fortress during the first half of the 16° century).
Visit Tuscany: Here is where the 14° century walls stopped. It was also known as the “Torre della Saggina” (Tower of Garbage): in this area, outside the walls, garbage and carcasses of dead animals were abandoned.
Visit Tuscany: Between the Duomo and Piazza San Firenze there's a circle on the pavement: stop! These are the foundations of the circular towers of the very first defensive walls of Florence (15-30 BC ).