A gate as an Historical Jigsaw Puzzle

Porta San Marco, pieces and materials

Two things caught my attention when I visited Porta San Marco.

The first one was the fact that I could see the different phases of the construction of the Porta. The remnants of the first phase. The new material that came to complete the demolished part. The additions made throughout the years. All these create a jigsaw puzzle consisting of highly complex pieces.

The second one was the strict, clean lines of the construction that solidify the Porta.

I tried to do a reproduction of the demolished walls, wanting to eliminate the absolute shape of the construction and bringing back, in some way, the ruins of the old walls.

In the midst of the economic, social, and artistic boom of the city, a new expansion of the walls started in 1290. The expansion incorporated the whole of the southern part of the city up to the existing border walls. The door, also known as Maremme, opened in the city in 1325- 1326. It strengthened in the 16th century. However, the 16th century fortifications were demolished in the 19th century, to get the square Biringucci and expand the way to Grosseto.