Porta Marina is the only surviving example of the ancient gates that encircled the city of Barletta; it stands in the square of the same name.
What to see
Into the square flow via Mura San Cataldo, which skirts the Giardini del Castello and drops towards Piazza Marina following the fall in level towards the sea; via Mura del Carmine, which arrives from the opposite side along the old walls that once faced the sea; and via Marina, which comes from the port and, crossing the square, climbs until it joins the ancient route of via Cialdini.
The gate has not always stood in the same place. The original Porta Marina, medieval, is probably the pointed arch that now gives access to the building that housed the Guardia di Finanza until the construction of the new barracks; beside it stood the old Palazzo della Dogana, and the medieval walls ran down from the Castle towards via Sant'Andrea, alongside the alleys coming from via Duomo, and ended there. Only later was the circuit extended north-west along the coast as far as the Paraticchio. The new gate was built in 1751.
Visiting
The gate is in the square of the same name, in Barletta, at the meeting of via Mura San Cataldo, via Mura del Carmine and via Marina; the sources consulted say nothing more about access.
Our editors' tip
Look at the upper part of the side facing the sea: the stone inscription that records the building in 1751 is flanked by the arms of the city and the Bourbon coat of arms, which is repeated on the opposite side.
