Porta San Paolo

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Giuseppe Vasi etching of Porta San Paolo and Pyramid of Cestius, in the 18th century.

The gate has been separated from the Aurelian Walls, and looks like a castle, with the two towers and the double entrance. It is, therefore, sometimes called "Castelletto".

The Porta San Paolo is one of the southern gates in the 3rd century Aurelian Walls of Rome. The Ostiense Museum is housed within in the gatehouse. Just to the west is the Pyramid of Cestius, an Egyptian-style pyramid, and beyond that is the Protestant Cemetery.

[edit] History

The gatehouse is flanked by two cylindrical towers, and has two entrances, which had been covered by a second, single-opening gate, built in front of the first by Belisarius (530s–540s).

The structure is due to Maxentius, in the 4th century, but the two towers were heightened by Honorius. Its original name was Porta Ostiensis, since it opened on the way to Ostia. Later it changed its name to Porta San Paolo, because it was the exit of Rome that led to the St. Paul basilica outside the walls.

In 549, the Rome was under siege; the Ostrogoths of Totila entered through this gate, because of the treason of the Isaurian garrison. On 10 September 1943, two days after the armistice between the Allies and Italy had been agreed, Italian military and civil forces tried to block German seizure of the city, with 570 casualties.