The Carbonana Gate
The Gate owes its name to Spinalonga’s garrison chief, Rafaele Carbonana, while it is also referred to as the Gate of the Plain (Portello del Piano). It was built at the beginning of 1586 and is the main entrance to the second fortification zone. The main path of the fortress passes through it.
Its form is simple but particularly imposing, with a large arched opening on its inner north side. The Gate has preserved old plasters with decorative motifs with a trowel, while Venetian coats of arms are engraved on its arch, a non-so-common pattern. On the arched door frame, part of an emblem in the centre and part of an inscription of the Ottoman period on the left can be seen in red, which were whitewashed during the Leper colony era to write the inscription: Kaffeneion Romanzo [property] A. Lesiotis, which refers to one of the two cafes that operated on the islet and was located near the Gate.