Porta Pretoria

Porta Praetoria, the principal gateway to the Castra Albana, survives as a monumental fragment of the fortress built for Septimius Severus's Second Parthica Legion. Two storeys of peperino masonry, 36 metres wide and pierced by three arches, rise from a modern street in Albano Laziale.

Why it matters

Permanent legionary bases usually stood on the frontiers of the empire. The camp at Albano, established around 202 AD for about 6,000 soldiers of Legio II Parthica, was an exception, keeping an emperor's force close to Rome. The gate was the camp's main entrance from the Via Appia and the public face of this military town.

What to notice

The gate measures 36 metres across and 14 metres high, built from regular blocks of peperino, volcanic tuff quarried in the Alban Hills. Its three arches include a wider central opening for carts, cavalry and soldiers, with two side openings for pedestrians. Rectangular towers project at either end. The upper floor was likely reached by wooden stairs, and the gate leaves were probably wood. Fragments of architectural ornament and marble statues survive from the facade facing the Appia. Nearby are remains of a second gate, the porta principalis sinistra, whose central arch and side postern were walled up in the medieval period.

Context and history

Septimius Severus raised Legio II Parthica in 196–197 AD for his campaign against Parthia; around 202, it was based at Albano. The camp extended roughly 435 by 232 metres, about ten hectares, behind a crenellated wall with circular corner towers and square towers along its sides. Sections of the wall, towers and basalt-paved roads survive in the town. After antiquity, the fortress was absorbed into Albano: arches were blocked and towers incorporated into houses. The gate was brought back into view after Second World War bombing damage.