Throughout much of the medieval period, Rome’s population was a fraction of the one million residents it had at its peak in Classical Antiquity. With much of the medieval population clustered near the banks of the Tiber River, there lay a vast…

The Porta San Sebastiano is a gate in the Aurelian Walls. It is also, however, much more than that. It was originally called the Porta Appia, named after the Appian Way, which the gate crosses. The gate was originally built as part of an extensive…

Built upon the ancient tomb of Cecilia Metella, this massive fortress derives its name from the ox-head images that decorate its walls. In the 11th century the fortress was incorporated into a larger walled complex. In the 14th century Pope Boniface…

Just northeast to the Pyramid of Gaius Cestuis, Porta San Paolo now serves as the entrance into the Museo della Via Ostiense. However, entry through the Porta San Paolo brings one to a very different setting--back in the Middle Ages. As an important…

While the center of Rome can be hectic and claustrophobic, it only takes a short bus ride (30 minutes, to be exact) to reach the Caffarella Valley, a beautifully preserved park that maintains some characteristics of the historically romanticized…

Walking through medieval Trastevere, it is easy to forget about the classical Roman city that once flourished across the river. This neighborhood, now home to much of Rome’s nightlife and many of its most recognizably medieval buildings, was included…

Located on the Janiculum hill overlooking Trastevere, Porta San Pancrazio has been an important entryway into Rome since antiquity. In Ancient Rome, the gate was called Porta Aurelia because it was along the Aurelian wall and allowed access to an…