Following the devastating earthquake of 1349, the town of Atina, which at the time stood on the hill of Santo Stefano, was almost completely destroyed. The violent tremors razed most of the settlement to the ground, leaving the population shocked and without shelter. As if that were not enough, the following year, the few survivors—already weakened by the catastrophe—were struck by a terrible plague that decimated them further. According to Marcantonio Palombo in the Ecclesiae Atinatis Historia (17th century), the epidemic spread “coming from the earth, or from some other celestial disturbance,” reflecting the thinking of the time, which saw such calamities as signs of divine wrath or mysterious astral influences.
Overwhelmed by these tragic misfortunes, the people of Atina decided to abandon the old site and rebuild the town further downhill, on a site already fortified in the 12th century by King Roger the Norman with a defensive ditch. “The village – writes Palombo – remained small for a long time compared to the size of the ancient city. It stretches over a few feet. It has three gates. One to the north, which leads to Santa Maria and takes its name from it. One to the east, which, although near Santa Croce, is called San Rocco Gate. The third is to the west: it is called Fontana Gate, because one passes through it to reach the fountain and draw water. Each has a tower.”
Of the three original gates, the only one that survives today is this one. Despite the centuries that have passed, it remains in a good state of preservation, retaining much of its original structure. The slightly pointed arch, supported by sturdy piers with barely indicated capitals, testifies to the simplicity of medieval architecture and the strategic importance this gate held within the defensive system of the new Atina.