What’s Stuck in This Wall?
May 6, 2025
Source: Reddit
I was wondering to Porta Romana in Florence, and it happened that there entered a lot of iron things, rusted, I believe, which it seemed were driven into the wall––rings, spikes, hooks. These structures, which served as city gate torch holders for Florence, appeared random at first glance, like someone had failed to tidy up a display in a medieval hardware store.
They’re not junk. They are torch holders for a Florence city gate, and they have been there for hundreds of years. These city gate torch holders tell stories of history.
What the Torch Holders Actually Did
The gates were illuminated by the light of torchlight before the use of electric light. These were in turn held up by iron brackets—just high enough to keep them out of harm’s way but low enough to give off a little light for late arrivals, and for travelers and guards. The city gate torch holders were important in keeping Florence illuminated.
They weren’t just practical. Gates illuminated the city and it appeared powerful and ready. Coming to a flickering, torch-lit gate was both warning and welcome.
More Than Just Torch Holders
Florence’s gates are replete with ancient ironwork. Big rings? Used to tie horses. Hooks? Perhaps for banners, or announcements or public notices. They demonstrate how much was taking place at these gates — trade, law enforcement, ceremony.
Some brackets seem like they might have supported armor or flags. Others likely bore lit torches in their city gate torch holders, serving as essential components of the gate’s structure. It may not be readily apparent, but every piece had a task.
Why They’re Hanging There Anyway
They are original parts of the structure—retained because they are part of the city’s narrative. Florence does not scrub history down; it lets it sit there, rusting and real.
Walk through any gate and look up, and you’ll see the city gate torch holders still hanging on the walls, as if the city just put them away last week.
Look Up Next Time
Hardly anyone notices when they walk right past. But once you see one, you start to see them everywhere. Florence isn’t only statues and domes. It’s old torch holders that are still bolted into the stone, whose whispers are of what came before.
That’s the juice you take with you long after the trip is over.