The Porta Soprana is the most intact remnant of Cairo Montenotte's medieval town walls. The gate's pointed Gothic arch dates from the fourteenth century, when the Del Carretto marchesi fortified the settlement as a strategic point between the coast and Piedmont.
Walking through the gate places you at the edge of the old town, where narrow lanes lead uphill toward the castle ruins. The stone is weathered to a warm grey, and the gate is best seen in the late afternoon when the light catches the masonry from the west.