Photo by Fulvio Bernola
Porta “Sanguinaria” is antique gate at the sout of the town. This is the Roman gate most unique in all Roman gates in all of Ferentino; in fact it remained intact in its original structure and is the largest conservative example of the area.
The name suggests wars and battle between Ernici, ancient italic people, who inhabited this area, and Romans, between Ernici and Volsci, between Romans and Hannibal.
It is conjectured that the condemned went out of the door; the centurion Ambrose, patron saint of Ferentino, also went out the door to reach the place of his execution.
Porta Sanguinaria in its masonry presents various construction tecniques:of Roman times the lower band in polygonal and square work whitout the use of cement mortar; the upper band, built in the Middle Age, with scaly splinters, drowned in cement mortar.
The pretty medieval window, open in the elevation, suggests paths of sentinels
Porta Sanguinaria (from: E. Doddwell, Cyclopean, or Pelasgic remains in Greece and Italy … intended as a supplement to his classical ad topographical tour in Greece, during the years 1801, 1805 and 1806, London, 1834)
