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Visit Rome following 8 XVIIIth century itineraries XVIIIth century Rome in the 10 Books of Giuseppe Vasi - Le Magnificenze di Roma Antica e Moderna The Grand View of Rome by G. Vasi The Environs of Rome: Frascati, Tivoli, Albano and other small towns near Rome A 1781 map of Rome by G. Vasi An 1852 map of Rome by P. Letarouilly Rome seen by a 1905 armchair traveller in the paintings by Alberto Pisa The 14 historical districts of Rome An abridged history of Rome How to spend a peaceful day in Rome Baroque sculptors and their works The coats of arms of the popes in the monuments of Rome Pages on a specific pope Pages complementing the itineraries and the views by Giuseppe Vasi Walks in the Roman countryside and in other towns of Latium following Ferdinand Gregorovius A Directory of links to the Churches of Rome A Directory of links to the Palaces and Villas of Rome A Directory of links to the Other Monuments of Rome A Directory of Baroque Architects with links to their works A Directory of links to Monuments of Ancient Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Medieval Rome A Directory of links to Monuments of Renaissance A Directory of links to Monuments of the Late Renaissance A list of the most noteworthy Roman Families Directories of fountains, obelisks, museums, etc. Books and guides used for developing this web site An illustrated Glossary of Art Terms Venice and the Levant Roman recollections in Florence A list of Italian towns shown in this web site Venetian Fortresses in Greece Vienna seen by an Italian XVIIIth century traveller A list of foreign towns shown in this web site
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All images © by Roberto Piperno, owner of the domain. Write to romapip@quipo.it. Text edited by Rosamie Moore.
Gates of the Popes GATES OF THE POPES

This page deals with the gates of some towns of the Papal State. The gates of Rome are discussed in separate pages. Military, security and taxation reasons justified the need to provide each little town of the state with walls.
New walls or restoration of the existing ones were celebrated by embellishing the gates, which often imitated the gates of Rome, although in a sort of provincial fashion.

Bevagna

Bevagna


In the heart of Umbria, celebrated for its pastures and its picturesque appearence, Bevagna retains more than a mile of walls erected in the XIIIth century. This gate called "Torre dei Molini" (Mills Tower) has a small coat of arms of Pope Innocentius VIII (Giovan Battista Cybo, 1484-1492) which you can see in the background of this page.

Civita Castellana

Civita Castellana

Civita Castellana was the site of Falerii, the town of the Falisci, which was captured by Camillus in B. C. 396. The Romans destroyed Falerii and founded Falerium Novum in the plain, but in the Middle Ages the inhabitants went back to the old, better protected site. The little town was given by Pope Sixtus IV to Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who built a circle of walls and on the top of the hill a fortress, which was enlarged by Julius II and Leo X and used for centuries as a state-prison. The strength of the fortress eventually made the walls redundant and they were pulled down with the exception of the main gate decorated with remains of a Roman sarcophagus. The coat of arms of Cardinal Borgia (Alexander VI) is topped by a coat of arms of Pope Paulus V added more than a century later.

Anagni

Anagni

Anagni is also called "la Cittą dei Papi" because of the four popes who were born here (Innocentius III, Gregorius IX, Alexander IV and Bonifatius VIII, all between 1198 and 1303) and who made it prosperous. The walls were largely restored by Pope Pius IV in the XVIth century. Above you can see Porta S. Maria, which shows a resemblance to Porta Pertusa. You may wish to follow Ferdinand Gregorovius' walk in Anagni.

Visso

Visso

Visso is a small town in Val Nerina commanding one of the main roads crossing the Appennines. Its medieval walls were restored by Pope Gregorius XIII in the late XVIth century. The coat of arms on the gate named Porta di Via Lata, is somewhat unusual maybe because its architect had hearsay knowledge of the coats of arms being sculpted in Rome.

Perugia


Perugia

Perugia, the capital of Umbria, built on several hills, had a very long and tortuous ring of walls. With the growth of the population new peaks were included in the walls and new gates opened. Above Porta S. Costanzo erected under Pope Sixtus V, an addition to the existing walls to protect the church of S. Pietro de' Casinensi.

Viterbo

Viterbo

Viterbo was the central point of the extensive grant called the "patrimony of St. Peter" and is frequently mentioned in history as the residence of the popes and the scene of the papal elections in the XIIIth century. Here the popes felt more secure than in Rome. The walls were built at that time. The most important gate is Porta Romana rebuilt on the occasion of a visit of Pope Innocentius X in 1653 and embellished by Pope Clemens XI in 1705. Between the coats of arms of the popes, the statue of S. Rita, patroness of Viterbo.

Castelgandolfo

Castelgandolfo

Castelgandolfo, splendidly situated high above the Lake of Albano, came into possession of the popes in 1596. Pope Urbanus VIII erected a large Papal palace and Castelgandolfo became (and still is) a favourite summer resort of the popes. The access to the central square is controlled by this elegant XVIIIth century gate with the coat of arms of Pope Clemens XII.

Montefiascone and Valentano

Montefiascone and Valentano

Montefiascone and Valentano are two little towns on the hills surrounding the Lake of Bolsena. They both had new gates in the XVIIIth century. Porta Viterbese (left) in Montefiascone was erected during the pontificate of Pope Benedictus XIV in 1744. The main gate of Valentano (right), in the former Duchy of Castro was built in 1779 during the pontificate of Pope Pius VI.