The name comes from the legend regarding the founding of Siena, that a soldier by the name of Camulio had been sent to Siena by the founder of Rome,
Romulus, to capture his nephews Senio and Ascanio. However, Camulio instead stayed and built a town around the area of the portal. Over the centuries, this gate, which lead towards Florence was often the most defended. The original gate, built during the 13th century was razed during the 1555 siege of Siena. About forty meters outside of the gate, at the start of via Vittorio Emanuele II is the small renaissance-style
Oratorio del Santo Sepolcro. A few hundred meters north along the same street rises the
Antiporto di Camollia, an additional fortification built to defend this access to the
Via Francigena. == Bibliography ==