Porta Praetoria

A gateway to the city, a passage through time

When is it open: everyday

What's not to be missed: the precious marble covering it

Where is it: between Via S. Anselmo and Via Porta Pretoria

Why? … Because it's worth it: it is one of the few Roman gateways still intact

Situated on the eastern part of the walls, it was the main point of access to the city of Augusta Praetoria . It had three openings which are still visible today: the central one for carriages and two side openings for pedestrians. The area inside the openings were used as a troupe parade court; in the southern part the land was dug until it reached the level of the ground during the Roman

era (around two metres under the current level – the difference is due to the material transported by the flooding rivers). On the openings facing outwards you can still see the grooves from where the gates were lowered at night. The external facade still has some marble slabs that covered the entire monument, which is internally

composed of clastic rock blocks. In medieval times Porta Praetoria had a nearby church dedicated to the Santissima Trinità (just an alcove remains today), with people calling Porta Praetoria by the name of the church for centuries.