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Arco di Gallieno

Typology: Monuments

Address

Address: Via di San Vito
Zone: Rione Esquilino (Termini-Via Nazionale) (Roma centro)

Contacts

Description

Built by Augusto in Travertine rock, the arch of Gallieno is located at Porta Esquilina, inside the Mura Serviane, at the point where the Agger ended. A dedication to the emperor Gallieno and his wife Salonina was inscribed on the arch in 262 AD by M. Aurelius Victor, a common citizen. Flanked by angular Corinthian pilasters, the slightly squared arch was originally intended to have three barrel vaults. In the Middle Ages, two keys from the city of Viterbo were hung on the arch as a reminder of the city’s submission to Rome. They remained there until 1825. SHORT NOTE ON THE AGGER - The eastern side of Rome was the most vulnerable. Therefore, between Porta Collina and Porta Esquilina, the so called Servian Wall (dating back to the IV century BC) were fortified by the agger, whose ruins can be still seen in the garden of the Acquario Romano, in piazza Manfredo Fanti. The agger (embankment) was inside a square 10 m tall wall and was surrounded by a ditch. Some of its sections can be seen at via Carlo Alberto, near the Auditorium of Mecenate and before Termini train station.

See also

Culture and leisure › Historic places of worship › Catholic Churches
Culture and leisure › Cultural heritage › Architectural and historical heritage
Last checked: 2024-09-04 16:43
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