Torresotto di Porta Nova
Built at the end of the 12th century, the Torresotto di Porta Nova was part of the second circle of walls of the city of Bologna, known as the dei Mille or "dei Torresotti" precisely because of these particular constructions that gave access to the centre.
The purpose of this and the other torresotti was to defend the city, as evidenced by the pivots that can still be seen today under its archway. Therefore, in the Middle Ages this was a large gate protecting the centre of Bologna.
Only a few traces remain today of the second circle of walls, and the most evident are precisely the torresotti. Only a few years after its construction, in fact, it became necessary to build a third circle - later destroyed in the early 20th century except for the gates that we still see today - to contain the sudden expansion of the city.
What to see around the Torresotto di Porta Nova
The Torresotto di Porta Nova opens onto what is now
Piazza Malpighi, a narrow and elongated area that originally coincided with the defensive moat that ran along the city walls. In the square, a tall column surmounted by a
statue of the Virgin Mary dating back to 1638 can be seen, the protagonist of the so-called 'Festa della Fiorita'. On 8 December each year, the Fire Brigade adorns her arms with a bouquet of flowers as a symbolic gift from the townspeople. This tradition has its roots in 1854, the year Pope Pius IX instituted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.
Near the torresotto, precisely in Via Mario Finzi, is the
Synagogue of Bologna, once enclosed in the Jewish Ghetto and moved here in the 19th century. A large Star of David and a plaque bearing the names of the Bologna Jews deported and killed during the Second World War can be seen on the rounded façade.
The story of Gentile Budrioli
Once the second city walls were demolished, the torresotto was transformed from a defensive garrison into a
private residence. In the 15th century, a woman lived there who was destined to become famous because of her sad end. We are talking about
Gentile Budrioli, an intelligent and cultivated woman who was condemned to death for witchcraft.
The wife of a town notary, Gentile cultivated her curiosity and thirst for knowledge by frequenting the cloister of the Basilica of San Francesco, located near the torresotto. Here she learned all the
secrets of botany and pharmacy, and soon became known in the city for her healing abilities, so much so that she intrigued
Ginevra Sforza, wife of Giovanni II Bentivoglio lord of Bologna. Ginevra and Gentile struck up a friendship that was unfortunately destined to be short-lived. Malicious rumours soon began to circulate about them, in particular about the influence that two women like them could have on Ginevra's consort and his decisions. According to the rumours, John II was being influenced too much by them.
Poor Gentile was then
accused of witchcraft and put on trial. After weeks of torture, she was publicly sentenced to death; her sentence was carried out with such pervasiveness and cruelty that it has gone down in history.
