Triumphal access to the urban sacred scene in Gerace
Documented from the seventeenth century and depicted in the famous view of Gerace by Abbot Pacichelli, the Arch of the Bishops was probably built in the second half of the sixteenth century. The structure is placed close to Piazza Tribuna, following the example of the now lost Porta Grande, which once marked the access to Piazza del Tocco. Its character, however, is more celebratory than monumental. This is revealed by its layout, which follows the model of the triumphal arch, punctuated by pairs of pilasters also present on the wings that connect the entrance to the cathedral and the northern edge of the square. The walls between the pilasters were frescoed with allegories of the four Cardinal Virtues, Justice, Fortitude, Prudence, Temperance, which have not been preserved. The top is characterized by the presence of a very articulated gable, on which a sundial is placed. The Arch marked the end point of the traditional ceremony by which bishops accessed the city, during which the prelate was led to the cathedral on a white donkey. In ancient times, the procession started at the church of San Michele, called 'De Protopodio', but later it started from the church of San Martino al Borghetto.