Porta San Paolo

Porta San Paolo
Porta San Paolo Shown within Rome
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Coordinates	41°52′36.02″N12°28′53.29″E / 41.8766722°N 12.4814694°E /41.8766722; 12.4814694

ThePorta San Paolo (English: Saint Paul Gate) is one of the southern gates in the 3rd-centuryAurelian Walls ofRome,Italy. TheVia Ostiense Museum (museo della Via Ostiense) is housed within the gatehouse.^[1]It is in theOstiense quarter; just to the west is the RomanPyramid of Cestius, anEgyptian-stylepyramid, and beyond that is theProtestant Cemetery.

The original name of the gate wasPorta Ostiensis, as it was located at the beginning ofvia Ostiense, the road that connected Rome andOstia. Via Ostiense was an important arterial road, as evidenced by the fact that upon entering the gate of the same name, the road split, with one direction leading to the famousEmporium, the great market of Rome.

The gatehouse is flanked by two cylindrical towers, and has two entrances, which had been covered by a second, single-opening gate, built in front of the first by the Byzantine generalBelisarius (530s–540s).

The structure is due toMaxentius, in the 4th century, but the two towers were heightened byHonorius. Its original—Latin—name wasPorta Ostiensis, since it opened on the way toOstia. Later, it was renamed to the ItalianPorta San Paolo, because it was the exit of Rome that led to theBasilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls.

In 549,Rome was under siege; theOstrogoths ofTotila entered through this gate, because of the treason of theIsaurian garrison.

On 10 September 1943, two days after thearmistice between theAllies and Italy had been agreed, Italian military and civil forces tried to blockGerman seizure of the city, with 570 casualties.

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  Giuseppe Vasi etching of Porta San Paolo andPyramid of Cestius, in the 18th century.
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  The gate has been separated from theAurelian Walls, and looks like a castle, with the two towers and the double entrance. It is, therefore, sometimes called "Castelletto".

• Porta San Giovanni – Gate of the Aurelian walls, a landmark of Rome, Italy

• Quercioli, Mauro (2005).Le mura e le porte di Roma. Rome: Newton & Compton.
• Cozzi, Laura G. (1968).Le porte di Roma. Rome: F. Spinosi.

• Further information(in Italian)
• Lucentini, M. (31 December 2012).The Rome Guide: Step by Step through History's Greatest City. Interlink.ISBN 9781623710088.

Media related toPorta San Paolo (Rome) at Wikimedia Commons

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