Porta Rugo Historical Timeline

Origins

Belluno was walled from the Roman period onward, and the line of the medieval walls followed the natural defences of the spur the town stands on.

Turning points

Porta Rugo guarded the southern approach, the side facing the Piave, and the road through it descended toward the river crossing.

Influential people

Under Venice from 1404 the walls lost their military purpose and were progressively removed as the city expanded. The gates outlasted them because they remained useful as gates.

Cultural evolution

The gate was rebuilt and altered over time, and carries a lion of St Mark, the Venetian emblem placed on public structures across the Republic's territory.

Present-day significance

It is now a viewpoint and a piece of the city's remaining medieval fabric, at the quiet end of the historic centre.