Fortress
Porta Pia
🇮🇹 Italy · 16th century
Porta Pia was one of the northern gates in the Aurelian Walls of Rome, Italy. One of Pope Pius IV's civic improvements to the city, it is named after him. Situated at the end of a new street, the Via Pia, it was designed by Michelangelo to replace the Porta Nomentana situated several hundred meters southwards, which was closed up at the same time. Construction began in 1561 and ended in 1565, after the artist's death. A 1561 bronze commemorative medal by Gian Federico Bonzagna shows an early plan by Michelangelo, very different from his final design. The façade on the outside of the city was completed in 1869 under the Neo-Classicist design by Virginio Vespignani.
Text adapted from “Porta Pia” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Porta Pia ranks #631 of 7,044 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #48 of the 416 mapped in Italy. Founded 1565, it is older than 36% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 687 atlas entries founded in the 16th century. See how Italy compares in the castle statistics.
View on the interactive castle map →Frequently asked questions
Where is Porta Pia?
Porta Pia stands in Italy, at 41.9093°, 12.5013°.
When was Porta Pia built?
The atlas dates its founding to 1565. Earlier structures may have stood on the site; this is the earliest documented founding year.
How famous is Porta Pia?
In this atlas's fame ranking: #631 of 7,044 worldwide, and #48 in Italy. Fame here combines how many Wikipedia language editions cover a landmark with how many people read them.
What is the nearest castle to Porta Pia?
Servian Wall, about 1 km away.
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