Porta Lodovica
Encyclopedia
Porta Lodovica was a city gate of the Spanish walls of Milan
, Italy
, named after Ludovico Sforza
. Today, the name refers to the district (quartiere
) of Milan where the gate used to be, which is part of the Zone 5 administrative division. The gate was demolished at the end of the 19th century; plans were made to rebuild it inside the Parco di Monza city park in Monza
, but they were not implemented.
of Saint Euphemia. The gate was named after Ludovico Sforza
because he had the idea of enlarging the former "Porta di Sant'Eufemia" to facilitate access to the Santa Maria presso San Celso
sanctuary, which was visited by many pilgrims. An inscription on the medieval Porta Lodovica read: "Ludovico Maria Sforza perché quel religioso acorrere dei suoi cittadini alla casa di Maria, madre di Dio fosse più comodo e breve questa porta, Lodovica dal suo nome con la sposa Beatrice aperse"
When the medieval walls were replaced by the Spanish walls, the old Porta Lodovica was demolished and the new one was built.
In the late 19th century, when new districts developed in the periphery of Milan, several gates and several traits of the city walls were demolished to make traffic easier. Porta Lodovica and Porta Ticinese
followed this destiny in 1905.
has its headquarters in this district.
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, named after Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...
. Today, the name refers to the district (quartiere
Quartiere
A quartiere is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The word is from quarto, or fourth, and was thus properly used only for towns divided into four neighborhoods. The English word "quarter" to mean a neighborhood A quartiere (plural: quartieri) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The...
) of Milan where the gate used to be, which is part of the Zone 5 administrative division. The gate was demolished at the end of the 19th century; plans were made to rebuild it inside the Parco di Monza city park in Monza
Monza
Monza is a city and comune on the river Lambro, a tributary of the Po, in the Lombardy region of Italy some 15 km north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of Monza and Brianza. It is best known for its Grand Prix motor racing circuit, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.On June...
, but they were not implemented.
The gate
A "Porta Lodovica", roughly facing the same direction as that of the Spanish walls of Milan, was already part of the city's Medieval walls. It was located by the posternPostern
A postern is a secondary door or gate, particularly in a fortification such as a city wall or castle curtain wall. Posterns were often located in a concealed location, allowing the occupants to come and go inconspicuously. In the event of a siege, a postern could act as a sally port, allowing...
of Saint Euphemia. The gate was named after Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza
Ludovico Sforza , was Duke of Milan from 1489 until his death. A member of the Sforza family, he was the fourth son of Francesco Sforza. He was famed as a patron of Leonardo da Vinci and other artists, and presided over the final and most productive stage of the Milanese Renaissance...
because he had the idea of enlarging the former "Porta di Sant'Eufemia" to facilitate access to the Santa Maria presso San Celso
Santa Maria presso San Celso
Santa Maria dei Miracoli presso San Celso is a church and a sanctuary in Milan, Lombardy, northern Italy.-History and overview:The construction was begun by Gian Giacomo Dolcebuono and Giovanni Battagio in 1493, to house a miraculous icon of the Madonna, initially on the central plan...
sanctuary, which was visited by many pilgrims. An inscription on the medieval Porta Lodovica read: "Ludovico Maria Sforza perché quel religioso acorrere dei suoi cittadini alla casa di Maria, madre di Dio fosse più comodo e breve questa porta, Lodovica dal suo nome con la sposa Beatrice aperse"
When the medieval walls were replaced by the Spanish walls, the old Porta Lodovica was demolished and the new one was built.
In the late 19th century, when new districts developed in the periphery of Milan, several gates and several traits of the city walls were demolished to make traffic easier. Porta Lodovica and Porta Ticinese
Porta Ticinese
Porta Ticinese is a former city gate of Milan, Italy. The gate, facing south-west, was first created with the Spanish walls of the city, in the 16th century, but the original structure was later demolished and replaced in the early 19th century...
followed this destiny in 1905.
The district
The district of Porta Lodovica marks the transition from the historic centre to the "Bastions", i.e., the part of the city that was enclosed by the Spanish walls. Major streets in the area include Via Col Di Lana, Viale Gian Galeazzo, Viale Beatrice d'Este, and Viale Bligny. The Bocconi UniversityBocconi University
Bocconi University is a private university located in central Milan, beside Parco Ravizza. Bocconi provides undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education, in addition to a range of double degree programs, in the fields of economics, management, finance and law. According to many university...
has its headquarters in this district.