The Bottino Gate is one of the three ancient entrances to the Etruscan town of Proceno. Located in the district once known as SS. Trinità, it provided access to the populous Bottino quarter, which also housed the Jewish ghetto—likely inhabited by families from Pitigliano or Sorano. The presence of the Jewish community is documented in 15th-century town records, along with a synagogue mentioned in documents from 1626 and 1639. Like the other gates of Proceno (Fiorentina and San Martino), the Bottino Gate was part of the town's medieval defensive system, long protected by thick walls. To its right stood a defensive tower built in 1492, later demolished in the 18th century to make room for the Church of San Giovanni Battista. The name “Bottino” (or “Bottinaccio”) comes from the presence of a natural spring, used for centuries to collect rainwater from the old town. The town's municipal statutes regulated access and maintenance of this vital resource, managed by a chiavicaro and fontanaro, responsible for the keys and the water system. In return, they were granted usufruct of the Bottino vegetable garden.
Abandonment, restoration and rebirth
For centuries, the gate remained closed and inaccessible due to the sliding of the ground, caused by the water that had made maintenance impossible. Only recently, thanks to a consolidation and recovery project , the site was reopened to the public . Today a pedestrian path allows you to cross the third gate of Proceno again, giving the village an important connection between past and present.
Where
Corso Regina Margherita, 179, 01020 Proceno VT, Italia
