- Porta Maggiore
The Porta Maggiore ("Larger Gate"), or Porta Prenestina, is one of the eastern gates in the ancient but well-preserved
3rd century Aurelian Walls ofRome .Through the gate ran two ancient roads: the
Via Praenestina and theVia Labicana . The Via Prenestina was the eastern road to the ancient town ofPraeneste (modernPalestrina ). The Via Labicana (now called the "Via Casilina") heads southeast from the city.The original gate was built centuries before the wall in
52 by the emperorClaudius , and is formed by arches through two aqueducts, theAqua Claudia and theAnio Novus . It was constructed as a monumental double archway built of whitetravertine . It contains inscriptions in praise of the emperors Claudius,Vespasian , andTitus for their work on the aqueducts. It was first known as the Porta Prenestina.The gate was made part of the Aurelian Wall in
271 by the emperorAurelian . It was modified further when the emperorHonorius augmented the walls in405 . The foundations of a guardhouse added by Honorius are still visible, while the upper part of the gate, as built by Honorius, has been moved to the left side of the Porta.Close by the gate, just outside the wall, is the unusual Tomb of the Baker, built by Marcus Virgilius Eurysaces.
External links
* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/Europe/Italy/Lazio/Roma/Rome/_Texts/PLATOP*/Porta_Praenestina.html Information on the Porta Prenestina from the LacusCurtius website.]
* [http://www.romeartlover.it/Vasi07.html Pictures of the gate]
* [http://www.activitaly.it/monument/pmaggiore.htm Porta Maggiore information] it icon
* [http://www.archeoroma.com/area_di_santa_croce.htm Further information, and a map] it icon
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