Aurelian Wall

After nearly five centuries of unopposed domination, Emperor Aurelian of Rome (270-275 AD) recognized the threat from Germanic tribes near the borders of the Roman Empire, and he decided it was time to build a wall to protect the city. The city had long outgrown its old Republican Wall, which was built in the 3rd century BC. Until the 3rd century AD, Rome's power was so strong that the city did not feel the need for a protective wall.

The Aurelian Wall was originally 19 kilometer long (12 miles) and about 6 meter high (20 feet) 3.5 meters thick (11.5 feet). The wall included a square tower about every 30m (about 100 feet), 381 in total. It also featured many grand gates - 18 in total - including the Porta Latina and Porta San Sebastiano which were covered by arches and protected by semi-circular towers.

The wall was completed by Probus, the successor of emperor Aurelian. Later the wall was improved and raised by emperor Maxentius and others. Eventually it would take yet more than 100 years before barbarians reached the city. The wall did not stop them though and in 410 the city was pillaged by the Visigoths.

The uniqueness of the Aurelian Wall includes the fact that several buildings are incorporated into the structure. This was done to save time and allow the wall to be built at a lower cost.

Existing buildings included within the wall include Castel Sant'Angelo, originally Hadrian's Mausoleum; Amphitheatrum Castrense, a 2nd century Roman amphitheater built of brick; the Pyramid of Cestius, an Egyptian-style pyramid built in 12 BC as a tomb for Caius Cestius, a member of one of the four great religious corporations of early Rome; and a section of the Aqua Claudia aqueduct, which was built to supply several of the Roman districts with water.

Today, about two-thirds of the Aurelian Wall remains intact and quite well preserved. Interested visitors can head to the Museo delle Mura, near the San Sebastian gate, to learn more about the history of the wall and what they’ll find on a tour of the structure. Some of the most interesting gates such as the Porta Maggiore and Porta Asinaria are also worth a visit.