Porta Garibaldi
The Porta Garibaldi, previously known as the Porta Comasina, is a city gate located in Milan, on the old road to Como. The Neoclassical arch was built to commemorate the visit of Francis I of Austria in 1825. Built in the Doric style, the gate is flanked by two portals overlooking the street.
The history of Porta Comasina (nowadays Porta Garibaldi) is very long.
At first, it was located close to the road that led to Como, but after being destroyed, it was rebuilt in the 16th century by the Spanish that did not really focus on the decorations, but mostly on the protective function of the Porta. Luckily, some of the sculptures that had been made before its destruction, such as the representation of the Madonna and Saint Ambrogio, are now conserved and preserved in the Castello Sforzesco museum and can be visited.
During its evolution, Porta Garibaldi was conceived of as a protection of the city of Milan, but most importantly as a system of commercial control that allowed the governors and guards to check what was going inside and outside, thanks to the duties.
The Porta was reconditioned in 1825 by the italian architect Giacomo Moraglia, and his work was financied by the rich merchants of the city, and nearly 40 years later, in 1860, the building changed its name from Porta Comasina to Porta Garibaldi, because it was thought to honour Giuseppe Garibaldi, who has been a very important figure in Italian national history, given that he was key to the Italian unification and the creation of the kingdom of Italy.
Porta Garibaldi is now located at the centre of Piazza XXV Aprile and it is connected to Corso Garibaldi.
