Marble lion

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Marble lion
Porta del Leone (Lion's Gate)
Piazza dei Miracoli
Pisa, September 2020

“The Porta del Leone (Lion’s Gate) was the first to be opened during the construction of the walls of Pisa in 1154. Its size, crowned by a round arch, testifies to its importance: it was intended for triumphal entrances and for the passage of wagons and carts laden with goods. The marble lion, originally placed in the niche of one of the towers defending the gate, was oriented towards the outside, guarding the city, most likely on the top of the now demolished tower. Outside, from the cemetery, a shelf can still be seen, presumably a temporary location of the statue. When, in 1406, the Florentines conquered Pisa, they moved the lion towards the corner of the walls and turned it inwards.” (Porta del Leone and Jewish Cemetery, Turismo Pisa)