Porta a Pago

The origin of the name, of what was the second oldest opening in the castle walls, probably refers to the first ancient settlement of the Pagus di Ascianello, towards which it looks. This gate appears, together with Porta Gavina, in the oldest iconographic source relating to Torrita, namely Lippo Vanni’s fresco dated 1363 depicting the Battle of the Val di Chiana, present in the Sala del Mappamondo in the Palazzo Comunale of Siena. As is also evident from the fresco, it had an antiporto present until the mid-16th century. Badly damaged on several occasions, it lost its original appearance; it was completely restored in 1878. It is dedicated to the Madonna of Carmine, commemorated on 16 July.