The gate erroneously known as the house of the executioner

People call this the house of the executioner, but the name likely stuck because the pigs being slaughtered here in the 19th century let out squeals very similar to human laments.

It started as a watchtower and city gate in the early 1500s, part of the grand Addizione Erculea project. It had a very busy history. It served as a customs house, a hay warehouse, a military powder magazine, and even a private residence until 1984.

In 1598, Cesare d'Este passed through these walls for the last time as he left Ferrara for Modena, the new capital of Modena and Reggio. After that year, the gate was closed.

Today, you can climb a modern metal spiral staircase inside the central tower. From the top, you get a 360-degree view of the Rossettian walls and the Giorgio Bassani park. You can even walk along a 7-metre stretch of the old walkway leading toward the Francolino tower.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons