Museum of Aurelian walls (Museo delle Mura)
The
Museum, whose current set-up was established in
1990, is housed inside the Appia gate, better known
by the name of Porta San Sebastiano, which is one of
the most important gates in the wall (19 km long).
The wall was built by
emperor Aurelian between 290
and 295 AD to oppose the advance of the barbarian
peoples.
The gate - which marks the beginning of the
extra-urban stretch of the Via Appia Antica - has
only one barrel-vault dominated by two covered
arcades and by an external communication trench that
ends with merlon decorations; two great towers stand
out on the sides of the gate, they too are
decorated, and there is a podium with a square
layout in the bottom part, while in the upper part,
they have a semi cylindrical shape, and arched
windows.
The facing of the whole structure is in
white marble on the podium and with bricks in the
upper zone.
The Museum goes back over the history of
the city walls, from the Servian walls (VI-IV
century BC), to the above-mentioned Aurelian
walls,
and analyses their different building techniques
and construction systems, as well as their numerous
transformations and frequent restoration operations
which became necessary over the centuries and which
constantly changed their original appearance.
In
the Museum there are explanatory panels both in
Italian and in English which are accompanied by a
wealth of graphic and photographic documentation, as
well as plastic models that specifically go back
over the construction phases of the Aurelian Walls.
A visit to
the Museum also includes a walk along the
covered communication trench of the walls in the
stretch up to the Bastione Ardeatino and access to
the terrace at the top of the western tower of the
gate, where it is possible to admire a beautiful
view of the city which reaches the
Castelli Romani.
For
Tours information
– private guided tours – special entrances, no waiting in
line - VIP services
www.tourinrome.com
www.vaticanmuseuminformation.com
www.vaticanmuseumticket.com
