Porta Gavina

In ancient times, access to the castle was through two gates, one of which was Porta Gavina. This is the oldest and most important gate; it was equipped with towers and an antiporto, traces of which are still visible today.

To complete the defence, a long moat ran around the walls. Worthy of mention, as also testified by an inscription, is the restoration carried out in 1622. On that occasion, the coats of arms of the most notable families residing in Torrita were depicted in the fresco inside the lunette and in the two intradoses, where the Medici coat of arms with grand-ducal crown stands out, together with the coat of arms of Siena and that of Torrita.

It is said that in 1554, when the Florentine besieged Torrita with the help of Imperial troops, an elderly woman named Nencia was captured. Seeing that she was obliged to acclaim the Duke of Florence, the woman took to praising the Lupa, the symbol of Siena. The soldiers, after initially mocking her, in the face of her insistence ended up nailing her to the door, where she died. This door is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, who is celebrated on 15 August.