Porta Latina
N 41° 52.587 E 012° 30.166
33T E 292778 N 4639074
The present shape of this small gate is a result of emperor Honorius's alterations, carried out at the beginning of the 5th century AD, with a white stone facing to protect the more fragile roman brick structure.
Waymark Code: WM1XFM
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 07/27/2007
Views: 67
The left tower, though, was rebuilt in the 12th century (a closer look reveals a certain difference in the brick and stone texture). On the outer side, the centre of the arch is decorated with a small round bossom in relief, featuring a Christian monogram (a "P" crossed by an "X", or Chi-Ro, from the first two letters in the Greek name for Christ); a similar bossom on the opposite side of the gate, partially covered by weeds and tree branches, features a 6-pointed star: also this is a Christian symbol, and emperor Honorius was actually known to be very religious.
Despite its small dimensions, the gate stood by the origin of an important road, via Latina, which ran south-east, and reached Labici there it joined via Labicana (or Casilina), and carried on towards Casilinum, not too far from Naples.
Via Latina's name, and more generally the adjective "Latin", come from the geographic aerea called Latium, where this road led to. The name Latium, now indicating a wide region in central Italy, originally referred only to the plains between the Albani hills and the Tyrrenian coast, south of Rome.
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: Free
Opening days/times:
24 x 7
Web Site: [Web Link]
Condition: Completely intact or reconstructed
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