Porta Angelica

Beautiful

Access ... To the right colonnade.

Porta Angelica was a door that opened into the Leonine walls of Rome. Built before 1563 by Pope Pius IV in an elegant and simple ashlar, it was used as a preferential route for pilgrims who came to the city from the Via Cassia or the Via Flaminia. The denomination of Angelica derives from the baptismal name of the pope who created it, Giovanni Angelo Medici, who wanted to leave further memories of his works, not only in the inscriptions, but also in the names of the monuments he built (in fact it is dedicated to him, for example, Porta Pia).

The door has disappeared and the monument has been heavily remodeled in order to create a large access point to the Vatican.

The Porta Angelica, which was part of the Leonine walls, was located in the current Rione XIV (Borgo), in the today unspeakable position between via di Porta Angelica and Piazza Risorgimento where a large coat of arms of Pope Pius XI is currently located on the top of the walls. The name of the Porta Angelica, together with the street of the same name, derives from the baptismal name Giovanni Angelo Medici of Pope Pius IV who commissioned it around 1560. The door was demolished, after the unification of Italy, in 1888 together with the walls that led to Castel Sant'Angelo, due to problems related to the modernization of the city (of the Borgo and Prati districts) and probably also to remove the testimonies of the past state Pontifical, in fact, demolitions or profound changes were also carried out on other doors For this door, some ornamental elements have been placed along the outer walls of the Leonine city that overlook Piazza Risorgimento at the height of the bus station, in fact a plaque with the inscription was placed as a reminder: FRAGMENTS OF THE DEMOLITION PORTA ANGELICA Of the two cruciferous angels that were placed on the sides of the fornix with a round arch, it is the coat of arms of Pope Pius IV and also the following linear inscription in Latin: ANGELIS SUIS MANDAVIT DE TE –UT CUSTODIANT YOU IN OMNIBUS VIIS TUIS (He has ordered his angels regarding you: that they keep you in all your ways) From the beginning of the "1700s" and until 1840, the heads of those sentenced to death were placed on the upper part of the gate as a warning to the population. LEONINE WALLS - NOTE: They have a perimeter of about 5 km was built by Pope Leo IV (hence the name, his papacy lasted from 847 to 855), after the Muslims had sacked Rome including the Vatican Basilica, since it was not inside the walls Aureliane. The works lasted from the year 848 to the year 852 and included as many as 44 rectangular towers, about 14 meters high. At the beginning there were three doors: • Porta Sant’Angelo, near Castel Sant’Angelo • Porta San Pellegrino, used by the Swiss Guard • Porta Santo Spirito

How much history! When it had not yet "disappeared", the door opened into the Leonine walls where the coat of arms of Pope Pius XI is now visible, at the corner between Michelangelo's Bastions and via di Porta Angelica. Simple, without decorations or battlements, on the top, according to a practice consolidated over the centuries, the heads of the executed were exposed to the public, as a warning to all those who entered Rome. In the context of urban development, everything that was to make the Borgo district more modern and functional has changed. However, along the wall facing Piazza del Risorgimento, some remains can still be seen: a linear inscription, the two statues of cruciferous angels that were placed on the sides of the opening, and the coat of arms of Pius IV, from which the balls. Here, under the command of General Oudinot, the French army launched its first attack on the Roman Republic, but was repulsed by defenders loyal to Garibaldi.

The gate is located at the end of the street of the same name. It was built in 1563 by Pope Pius IV. It takes its name from the baptismal name of the pope himself (Giovanni Angelo Medici) and built as an alternative to the Porta del Popolo, for any pilgrim who was headed from the north to Peter's Tomb. The top of the door was used as an exhibition surface for the heads of those sentenced to death, which were placed and closed in iron cages: this was done as a warning to citizens and pilgrims who entered the city of Rome: later in 1840, with Pope Gregory XVI, this macabre exhibition was put to an end. From here a crazy perspective opens up towards Bernini's Colonnade, impressive and at the same time graceful in defining the shape of the square and welcoming the faithful from all over the world. ENGLISH: The gate is located at the end of the street of the same name. It was built in 1563 by Pope Pius IV. It takes its name from the baptismal name of the pope himself (Giovanni Angelo Medici) and built as an alternative to the Porta del Popolo, for any pilgrim who was headed from the north to the Tomb of Peter. The top of the door was used as an exhibition surface for the heads of those sentenced to death, which were placed and closed in iron cages: this was done as a warning to citizens and pilgrims who entered the city of Rome: later in 1840, with Pope Gregory XVI, this macabre exhibition was put to an end. From here a crazy perspective opens up towards Bernini's Colonnade, impressive and at the same time graceful in defining the shape of the square and welcoming the faithful from all over the world.