Clock Gate

It was built to move the access to the fortified citadel ‘Castrum’ downwards and to meet the defence needs of the settlement. Its main function was to protect the population, which over the years grew and built their houses along the pre-existing walls, thus forming another wall.

To the right of the main gate, the primitive gate, built around 1600, can still be seen, which was built due to the need for protection against raids and thugs. The medieval village did not consist of real defensive walls, but of the terraced arrangement of houses, which provided an effective means of protection.

Today, despite the changes undergone over the centuries, it is still possible to see the walls that made up the original core of the village. Under the Porta Orologio are three crosses carved in stone, attributed to three brigands who were hanged in the 16th century by Captain Antino Tocco.

After the Unification of Italy, the mines and ‘ironworks’ of Atina were abandoned, but the Porta Orologio remains an important historical and tourist symbol for San Donato Val di Comino. This monument offers visitors a unique opportunity to discover the history and traditions of this charming medieval town.