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PORTA FAUL (Faul Gate)
HISTORY AND DESCCRIPTION
Porta Faul opens into an old tower with a demolished top. An inscription recalls the opening of Porta Faul in 1568 with the permission of Cardinal Alessandro Farnese, following the closure of the Porta di Valle. Alessandro Farnese’s family’s coat of arms is at the top of the door along with those of the town of Viterbo and of vice legato (Vatican City representative) Ansoino Polo. Initially the door was named Porta Farnesiana in honor of Alessandro Farnese; the people of Viterbo later renamed it Porta Faul because it opened adjacent from Valle di Faul. A local historian. A. Scriattoli, recalls another inscription recording the flood of Urcionio which occurred on October 26, 1706 and destroyed a section of the city walls. In the Middle Ages, near Porta di Valle, the last of the walls was constructed and enclosed the entire city. Urcionio flows closed to the walls. In 1454, there is a mention of the first overflowing of the river which flooded the fields and the town destroying the newly constructed walls. Becoming necessary to repair the walls, it was decided to make a new door to replace Porta di Valle. The etymology of the monogram FAUL creates the door’s name, which comes from the Dominican monk Annio da Viterbo a serious scholar, but full of fantasy, in the 15th century. The strong localism and ingenuity lead him to tell stories of the mythological origins of the city. For example Annio da Viterbo wrote that Noah had found 4 castles: Fanum, Arbanum, Vetulonia, Longola. The initials of the castles created the rise of the monogram FAUL. Viterbo would be born from the union of these four centers. After this story the symbol of the town of Viterbo changed to include a globe divided into four parts where the letters FAUL appeared under the paw of the lion. Near Porta Faul stood the tower of Galliana, also known as Branca tower, named after the magistrate of Viterbo, who ordered its construction in 1295.
PORTA FAUL.
Translation by Michelle Greif, University of Iowa, enrolled in the USAC Viterbo program.
