Phase I - The Gate Built by Borso d’Este (1451)

In the mid-fifteenth century, the poor conditions of the riverbed of the Po in Ferrara spurred Duke Borso d’Este to fortify the southern zone of the city (from Castel Nuovo to the Barbacane bastion) according to new criteria. The most impressive works began in 1451, when three new towered gates were opened to the south: the gates of San Pietro, dell’Amore and San Giorgio.

The defensive line that was being built at the same time was thus almost flush with the left bank of the Po River in Ferrara. Like those built after it, the Porta dell’Amore gate was incorporated into the new southern fortifications, outfitted with merlons and defined by fortified towers, defensive towers and straight curtain walls.