Porta Pia

Welcome to Poh-rtah Pee-ah, a monumental gate embedded in the ancient Aurelian Walls of Rome. As you stand before it, with the roar of modern Roman traffic swirling around, you are looking at a structure that serves as a profound…

Stand facing the city-side of the gate, looking down the long straight line of Via Venti Settembre. This facade is the genius of Michelangelo, executed between fifteen sixty-one and fifteen sixty-five. …

Now, walk through the archway to the outside of the gate, facing the modern Via Nomentana. The experience here changes entirely. …

Walk a short distance along the exterior of the wall, to the left of the gate as you face it from the outside. You are now standing at ground zero for the birth of modern Italy. …

Turn your attention to the large piazza just outside the gate. Dominating the space is a striking, dynamic bronze monument dedicated to the Bersaglieri, the fiercely proud light infantry corps that led the charge through the…

Nestled physically within the structure of Porta Pia itself, in the guardrooms and spaces between the inner and outer facades, is the Historical Museum of the Bersaglieri. While we stand outside, it is vital to understand what is…

Finally, return to the inside of the gate and look straight down the long, arrow-straight avenue stretching away from you: Via Venti Settembre. Named specifically to commemorate the date of the breach, this street represents the…

As our tour of Poh-rtah Pee-ah comes to a close, take a final look at the scarred brickwork and the monumental travertine blocks. We have traced a profound arc of history in this single location. …