Porta San Biagio is one of the gates giving access to the old core of Lecce, dedicated to the saint of that name; it forms the southern entrance to the old urban nucleus and stands near piazza d'Italia.
What to see
The gate is marked by pairs of smooth-shafted columns resting on tall bases and is topped by the coat of arms of King Ferdinand IV of Naples and that of the city of Lecce, repeated at the sides. Above the entablature rises the crowning finial, which holds a commemorative epigraph, and the sculpture of Saint Blaise in bishop's vestments completes the gate's artistic ornament. It is 17.3 metres high.
It arose in place of an older gate wanted by Charles V and was rebuilt in 1774 at the wish of the governor of Terra d'Otranto Tommaso Ruffo, as the Latin epigraph placed at the top shows. It formed the south-western entrance to the city, together with the nearby Porta San Martino, which formed instead its north-western entrance.
Visiting
The gate is near piazza d'Italia, in Lecce. The sources consulted say nothing more about access.
Our editors' tip
The other two gates left of the historic centre are Porta Napoli, in the form of a triumphal arch, and Porta Rudiae: with Porta San Biagio they make three stops on a tour of the city's gates.
