Porta Meridionale

Of the three gates into the fortified settlement of Monte Vairano, the Porta Meridionale is the smallest. It consists of two square stone structures flanking the entrance, acting as terminals for the circuit of walls. These structures sit atop the gate’s cheeks, marking the join between wall and portal. The eastern tower survives to about two metres in height.

The ground plans of the two towers differ, not for technical reasons but because of the lie of the land. The eastern tower sits on a surface that slopes sharply outwards, while the western tower rests on a gentler incline. The gate itself stands where the wall makes a deep recess, creating an angle greater than 90 degrees; the eastern tower’s sides are not perfectly orthogonal as a result. Inside this tower, a low stone base, over a metre wide, contains the base of the resulting scarp. The blocks forming the gate’s cheeks remain in place.

Description via source. Coordinates and heritage data from the Atika atlas.