At the center of the north wall stands the original portal from the time of Sixtus IV, designed by Andrea Bregno, which once provided access to the wards from the lantern tower. This entrance was originally preceded by a prothyrum on the street, later incorporated into a long external portico with arched openings on octagonal pillars, built afterward to provide a space for patients’ recreation. Consequently, access was modified with the construction of a new portal on the street-facing façade of Borgo Santo Spirito, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, where the coats of arms of the Chigi and Della Rovere families are prominently displayed.
