Porta Caterina Cybo in Camerino

History of Porta Caterina Cybo in Camerino

The gate was most likely built in the 14th century. Its old name, Porta Cisterna, came from the large reservoir of spring water nearby. From the mid-14th century the central part of the da Varano palace rose right above that reservoir.

In the late 19th century the gate was named after Caterina Cybo, wife of Duke Giovanni Maria da Varano and regent of the State of Camerino from 1527 to 1535. She is remembered above all for protecting the Capuchins, an order founded in Camerino that soon spread across Europe thanks to her intervention with her uncle, Pope Clement VII.

What to see at Porta Caterina Cybo

The gate stands on the cliff and is reached from the ring road by a very steep lane. The lane was once interrupted by a drawbridge. The position still explains why Camerino long remained impregnable. The gate keeps its wooden doors, and the marks of the old drawbridge are still visible in the walls below.

How to visit Porta Caterina Cybo

Camerino was hit hard by the 2016 earthquake, and reconstruction sites are still open in the historic center. For the gate, design work for restoration and repairs had begun in November 2024. Before visiting, it is worth checking with the town or the tourist office of Camerino.

Where Porta Caterina Cybo is located

The gate opens in the walls of Camerino. The city stands on a hill at 661 m, between the Chienti and Potenza valleys, with the Sibillini Mountains to the south. The gate leads into the historic center and up along Via Ugo Betti.

Around Porta Caterina Cybo

Via Ugo Betti leads to the square overlooked by the Archbishop's Palace, the Cathedral and the Ducal Palace of Camerino, with its late 15th-century four-sided portico. Not far away is the Basilica of San Venanzio, dedicated to the city's patron saint, with its carved portal.

Other gates in the walls also have a history tied to the lords of Camerino: Porta Malatesta and Porta Boncompagni, the latter dedicated to the nephew of Gregory XIII, castellan of Camerino. Other walls and gates of the Sibillini are described on the page walls and gates of the Sibillini.