Porta Maggiore
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The Porta Maggiore (Italian larger gate ) is one of 18 larger city gates of Rome .
Building history
Originally the Porta Maggiore was a prominent part of an aqueduct . This led the lines of the Aqua Claudia (lower tube) and those of the Anio Novus (upper tube) over the streets Via Labicana and Via Praenestina . The later Porta Maggiore was built in 52 AD by order of Emperor Claudius , who had the Aqua Claudia built in order to further improve the water supply in Rome.
At the end of the 3rd century AD, the Aurelian Wall was built. Due to the necessary haste in erecting the wall, a number of existing structures, including the later Porta Maggiore, were integrated into it.
In the immediate vicinity of the Porta Maggiora are the tomb of Eurysaces and an underground basilica, which may have been built by the Neopythagoreans .
Surname
The Porta Maggiore was initially called Porta Praenestina , as this street leads to the gate. In the Middle Ages , however, the gate got its current name, which indicates to the pilgrims that when they enter Rome through this gate, they will get to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore by the fastest route .
Today's meaning
The Porta Maggiore now forms the center of a larger square of the same name in Rome, which is visually divided by the ruins of the Aurelian Wall. The square is an important hub and transfer point in the Roman tram network . The vehicles on the Roma Laziali – Giardinetti connection with their different gauge are particularly noticeable.
Web links
- Porta Maggiore. RomeArtLover.it (English)
- Historical photos of the Porta Maggiore ( Photo 1 , Photo 2 ) at the Institute for Classical Archeology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
Coordinates: 41 ° 53 ′ 29 " N , 12 ° 30 ′ 54.5" E