Porta Monticano is the eastern exit of the ancient Contrada Grande, whose name derives from the homonymous river it overlooks. It is also called Porta Leone (Door of the Lion) because of the characteristic image that decorates the external façade, representing the "Lion of San Marco Andante", the work of Giovanni Antonio de Sacchis (called Pordenone), defined as "andante" thanks to its pose: the two hind legs lean on the Venetian Lagoon, while the previous ones go towards the conquest of the mainland. The feline of the Serenissima holds an open book between its paws which, according to tradition, is a symbol of the peaceful process by which the city passed under the control of Venice. Near the lion there are the Justice and the coat of arms of the Podestà, the rectors sent by the Doge and replaced every sixteen months, to avoid any battles with the local nobles.
Entering the Contrada, under the arch the walls have floral and geometric frescoes, while on the internal facade, unadorned and adjacent to an old tower, there is a small frescoed niche with coats of arms and symbols and a bas-relief depicting the lion of San Marco. The original, now kept in the Civic Museum, was chiseled by the French at the end of the 18th century.
