Restoration of Porta Tuderte 2023-24
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Porta Tuderte (Todi Gate), also known as Porta San Giovanni, is one of the oldest city gates in San Gemini. It was built in the first half of the 13th century at the same time that Porta Burgi was built. It replaced an older gate that had become obsolete due to the expansion of the city perimeter. It cuts awkwardly through the old square that faced the Church of San Giovanni and is a key component in the restructuring of the medieval urban fabric of the town that happens in the 13th century. The gate is a layered structure that, over the past 8 centuries, has gone through several additions and transformations and is an important monument documenting the urban history of San Gemini.
In the last century, this gate has been a major access point for traffic going into the city. The consequence is that the stonework of the gate has been exposed to a concentration of corrosive exhaust fumes that has damaged both the stones and the mortar that make up the gate’s masonry, particularly in the inner tunnel.
Restoration of the stone masonry work will include, cleaning the stone, consolidating and treating “black crusts”, consolidating any cracked or loose stones, and repointing all the masonry using traditional lime mortar.
All work will be carried out by SGPS students and faculty. The project will be done with official approval and supervision of the City of San Gemini and the Soprintendenza Archeologia, Belle Arti e Paesaggio dell'Umbria (Ministry of Cultural Heritage).
Also see Program A : Touching the Stones, Restoration and Analysis of Historic Buildings
