In Cortona, this extraordinary Etruscan gate holds over 2,000 years of history… and a story few people know. In 1258, during the night, enemy troops entered the city from here, leading to the fall of Cortona. From that moment on, it was blocked up and became known as the “cursed gate.” It was not opened until the 1990s and some residents still will not pass through. 

Built in the 2nd century BC, it is the only known Etruscan gate in the world with a double entrance, once guarded by ancient deities linked to life, death and the wild.