Larger Gate of the Aurelian Walls of Rome

Porta Maggiore was built by Emperor Claudius in 52 AD as a monumental arch carrying the Aqua Claudia and Anio Novus aqueducts across the Via Labicana and Via Praenestina. The travertine structure features two grand arches approximately 6 metres wide and 14 metres tall, flanked by Corinthian semi-columns. Emperor Aurelian incorporated it into Rome's defensive walls in 271 AD, and Emperor Honorius added fortifications including square towers in 402 AD. Three inscriptions by Claudius, Vespasian, and Titus document their contributions to the aqueduct system. Nearby stands the remarkable Tomb of the Baker, Marcus Virgilius Eurysaces, dating to 30 BC.