The opening of this section of recently restored Aurelian Walls marks a stage in the process of enhancing the entire circuit, aimed at making the still-preserved walkways and towers accessible. There are two objectives here. One is to enhance the value and usability of the city’s most important monumental and architectural complex, and the other is to offer visitors a walk from a privileged vantage point.
This new informative and educational approach treats the defensive circuit as the protagonist of a tale told through centuries of history. It starts with their creation, on orders by the Emperor Aurelian (between 271 and 275 AD) to protect the city from repeated attacks by the barbarian populations from northern Europe, and continues to the reconstructions by emperors and popes, up to the proclamation of Rome as capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Damaged, restored and partly demolished several times, the Aurelian Walls bear the “scars” of their history.
The section that can be visited, adjacent to the Porta Pinciana, includes three towers with their walkways. Of the original structure from the Honorian period (401- 403 AD), the covered lower walkways, the open upper walkways and the towers with their overlapping chambers joined by a staircase can still be visited. In 1600, these walls marked the northern boundary of Villa Boncompagni-Ludovisi. The splendid niche embellishing the façade of one of the towers dates back to this period: in the centre is the bust of a young soldier with long hair, dressed in a breastplate and chlamys, with features inspired by the classical iconography of Alexander the Great. The oval, in Baroque style, served as a backdrop to the grand avenue leading to the Casino dell’Aurora.
In 1847, following the motu proprio [edict] of Pope Pius IX, the monument passed from the Administration of the Apostolic Chamber to the Capitoline Administration. The proclamation of Rome as the capital of the Kingdom of Italy on 20 September 1870, however, marked the decline of the Walls. Having lost their defensive function, they still operated as a customs post up until the beginning of the 20th century.
The section is under the jurisdiction of the Capitoline Superintendence. Accessible from Via Campania 4, it can be visited by appointment.
Website: www.sovraintendenzaroma.it/content/camminamento-delle-mura-aureliane-di-campania
Reservations by telephone: 060608
2 I. Boncompagni Ludovisi, Villa Ludovisi. Aedicule of Alexander the Great, 1930, silver salt gelatine
3 Head of Alexander the Great, 2022.
4 R. Menasci, photo accompanying the article “la questione delle mura antiche (the question of the ancient walls)”, issue no. 2- 12 January 1908
5 A. Jemolo, The Aurelian Walls between Porta Pinciana and Porta Salaria, 2019