Porta Volta
Encyclopedia
Porta Volta is a former city gate
of Milan
, Italy
, part of the Spanish walls
(16th century). Nowadays, the name "Porta Volta" is most commonly used to refer to the surrounding district ("quartiere
"), part of the Zone 8 administrative division of the city.
Porta Volta was built in 1860 to connect the city to the Monumentale
cemetery. In the following decades it acquired a more important role as a consequence of the realization of the railway, that interrupted the road to Como
; the new road to Como that was built to replace the old one (informally known as "Comasina", formally "Via Carlo Farini"), in fact, was attached to Porta Volta.
While the walls and the gates have been demolished, the toll gates (dating back to 1880) have remained.
An important renewal plan for the Porta Volta district has been submitted in 2010 by Swiss architect Jacques Herzog. As a part of the plan, Porta Volta will become a cultural centre, with a large library, the new headquarters of the Feltrinelli
publishing house, and vast green areas.
City gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. Other terms include port.-Uses:City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods and animals...
of Milan
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...
, part of the Spanish walls
Walls of Milan
The city Milan, Italy, has had three different systems of defending walls. The oldest, Roman walls were developed in two stages, the first in the Republican and the second in the Imperial era. The second wall system was realized in the Middle Ages , after the destruction of the city by Frederick...
(16th century). Nowadays, the name "Porta Volta" is most commonly used to refer to the surrounding 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...
"), part of the Zone 8 administrative division of the city.
Porta Volta was built in 1860 to connect the city to the Monumentale
Cimitero Monumentale di Milano
The Cimitero Monumentale in Milan, Italy is a very large cemetery, noted for its abundance of highly artistic and often imposing tombs.It was designed by the architect Carlo Maciachini...
cemetery. In the following decades it acquired a more important role as a consequence of the realization of the railway, that interrupted the road to Como
Como
Como is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy.It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como....
; the new road to Como that was built to replace the old one (informally known as "Comasina", formally "Via Carlo Farini"), in fact, was attached to Porta Volta.
While the walls and the gates have been demolished, the toll gates (dating back to 1880) have remained.
An important renewal plan for the Porta Volta district has been submitted in 2010 by Swiss architect Jacques Herzog. As a part of the plan, Porta Volta will become a cultural centre, with a large library, the new headquarters of the Feltrinelli
Feltrinelli
Feltrinelli may refer to:* Feltrinelli - Italian publishing house* Giangiacomo Feltrinelli - founder of the publishing house* Antonio Feltrinelli Prizes - awarded by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei since 1950 in various fields of arts, sciences and "exceptional endeavours of outstanding moral...
publishing house, and vast green areas.