St. George's Gate

Brief Information

The Gate of Saint George looks like part of the medieval defenses, but its present height is not connected only with the 14th century. During the siege of Florence in the 16th century, the gate was deliberately lowered at the suggestion of Michelangelo, who was responsible for the city fortifications: this made the structure a less convenient target for gunfire. So what matters is not only the opening in the wall, but the altered form of the gate itself — a trace of military modification, not simply antiquity.

The gate stands in the Oltrarno district between Via San Leonardo and Costa San Giorgio. Nearby is the longest surviving section of the defensive wall, so the structure is best understood not as a separate arch, but as part of a defensive line. The name links the gate with the Church of Saint George and with the road up the hill — Costa San Giorgio.

What to notice first

The main focus is the two sides of the gate and the way they tell different stories about the place. On the outside, above the arch, there is a lunette with a bas-relief of Saint George the Victorious by Andrea da Pontedera; today a copy is in place, while the original is kept in Palazzo Vecchio. This replacement is important in itself: the decorative detail remains in its original position as a sign, but the authentic work has been moved into museum storage.

On the inner side, the lunette preserves a fresco by Lorenzo Bicci: the Virgin and Child enthroned, with Saints Leonard and George at the sides. You can compare the exterior bas-relief and the interior fresco: one image faces the approach to the city, the other faces inward. It is also worth comparing the gate with the neighboring stretch of wall and keeping the nearby Forte di Belvedere in mind: around a single arch, the city boundary, religious imagery, and the later system of fortifications converge.