Porta Soprana, Genoa, Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

Porta Soprana is a medieval city gate in Genoa, built in the 12th century as part of the Barbarossa walls and one of the best preserved stretches of them. Two round towers frame the arch that once served as the eastern entrance to the city, and today it leads into the old town's maze of narrow lanes. Right beside it stands the so-called House of Christopher Columbus.

The story behind it

Genoa raised these walls in the 1150s, when the city feared an attack from Frederick Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor. According to legend the whole circuit went up in just fifty-three days. It almost certainly took far longer, but the tale stuck, and it belongs to the story of how Genoa came to be called La Superba, the Superb One, for the pride and skill of its builders.

Porta Soprana was the main way in from the east, and a Latin inscription on the gate speaks for the city. Roughly translated, it says the town is ringed by wonderful walls and guarded by brave soldiers, that those who come in peace are welcome, and that those who come for war will be defeated. Next to the gate, tradition places the childhood home of Columbus. The building you see is an 18th-century reconstruction, so think of it as a memorial to the legend rather than an untouched original.

What to look for

• The two round towers on either side of the arch, which show how the gate was designed to guard the entrance.
• The Latin inscription on the gate, a medieval warning and welcome in one.
• The modest house beside the gate, and the contrast between its 18th-century rebuilding and the much older stonework next to it.
• The view through the arch, where the open street gives way to the narrow alleys of the medieval centre.

Tips for your visit

• Allow 15 to 20 minutes to look at the gate and the house from outside, longer if you want to photograph it from different angles.
• Go in the morning or late afternoon, when the light on the stone is softer and the street is quieter.
• Check current opening hours if you hope to go inside the house or the gate, as access can change.
• The remains of the Sant'Andrea cloister stand next to the house, and the old town streets lead on from here, so it works well as the start of a walk.

See it on a quest

The Secret Chase Through Genoa brings you to Porta Soprana on foot as one stop of a longer route through the city. The app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot, so you look closely at the gate instead of just walking past. One ticket covers the whole group.

Genoa: Quest for the Lost Code is another self-guided route that passes this gate. You reach it as part of a walk through the surrounding streets, hear its story when you get there and solve a puzzle in front of it. You can start any time, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers the whole group.