Porta Caelimontana e Porta Querquetulana, Ancient city gates on Caelian Hill, Rome, Italy.
Porta Caelimontana and Porta Querquetulana were two gates set within the Servian Wall on Caelian Hill, though only the former survives today. The standing structure displays a double-arch design built from travertine blocks and carries the names of the officials who sponsored its construction.
These gates were built as Rome expanded and King Servius Tullius ordered the construction of the Servian Wall to fortify the city. The surviving Porta Caelimontana was later rebuilt under the governor Dolabella and consul Silanus, giving it the double-arch form we see today.
The name Querquetana comes from the Latin Querquetulum, meaning oak woods, which reflects the natural environment that once surrounded Caelian Hill. This name preserves the memory of the forested landscape that existed before Rome's urban expansion.
The structure stands at the start of Via San Paolo della Croce and is easily visible from street level. The location sits on Caelian Hill, so visitors should expect some uphill walking when arriving from lower areas of Rome.
A religious figure named John of Matha occupied a small chamber above the arch from 1209 until his death in 1213. This quiet refuge shows how Roman structures were repurposed for new purposes during the Middle Ages.
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