Porta Asinaria

Rome, Italy

The Porta Asinaria is a gate in the Aurelian Walls of Rome. Dominated by two protruding tower blocks and associated guard rooms, it was built between 270 and 273, at the same time as the Wall itself. It is through this gate that East Roman troops under General Belisarius entered the city in 536, reclaiming the city for the Byzantine Empire from the Ostrogoths.

By the 16th century it had become overwhelmed by traffic. A new breach in the walls was made nearby to create the Porta San Giovanni. At this point, the Porta Asinaria was closed to traffic.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Piazza di Porta S. Giovanni 97, Rome, Italy

See all sites in Rome

Details

Founded: 270-273
Category: Castles and fortifications in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.5/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Villa d'Este (25,3 km)

User Reviews

Rio Jer (5 years ago)
Anq amazing place ,

Janos Kosa (5 years ago)
A bit hidden gate of ancient Rome, for me it was the most beautiful.

Kuala Bound (5 years ago)
In 1574 Pope Gregory XIII (Boncompagni) removed the travertine blocks of the cladding belonging this arch gate (known also as Porta Lateranensis) to reuse on the nearby new Porta di San Giovanni opened for 1575 Jubilee. So this III century BC ancient opening of the Aurelian Walls, was closed till its restoration in 1951. Originally was a small gate but Emperor Honorius (384-423) renovated it entirely by adding also the towers, a storm door and an internal courtyard.

Urban Traveler (6 years ago)
Picturesque part of the old Roman walls

i pm (7 years ago)
Very nice, not really widely publicized, ancient part of Rome. Part of the old city wall is still under reconstruction. The gate has nicely been preserved. There is an info board located between the gate and Basilica di San Giovanni in Laterano.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Photo from Flickr, copyright Following Hadrian

Historic Site of the week

Walls of Constantinople

The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (today Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. With numerous additions and modifications during their history, they were the last great fortification system of antiquity, and one of the most complex and elaborate systems ever built. They were also the largest and strongest fortification in both the ancient and medieval world.

Initially built by Constantine the Great, the walls surrounded the new city on all sides, protecting it against attack from both sea and land. As the city grew, the famous double line of the Theodosian Walls was built in the 5th century. Although the other sections of the walls were less elaborate, they were, when well-manned, almost impregnable for any medieval besieger.