The Porta Palatina is the most impressive surviving Roman monument in Turin. Flanked by two enormous polygonal towers, it was one of the main entrances to the city. During Mussolini’s reign, copies of statues of Roman Emperors were placed in the square.
Porta Palatina Turin
Useful information
Address: Piazza Cesare Augusto. Phone: N/A. The monument can be viewed from outside. Buslines: 4, 6, 11, 27, 51, 57 (Stop 243, Duomo-Polo Reale).
History and description
The Porta Palatina, otherwise known as the Porta Principalis Sinistra, was constructed in the 1st century.
The monument consists of four gates, superseded by two tiers of semi-circular arches.
The two towers flanking the gate have a height of 30 meters.
During the Middle Ages, Lombard and Frankish aristocrats occupied the building.
The square in front of the gate used to be the center of life in the Roman settlement of Augusta Taurinorum. It still contains what is left of an ancient Roman road.
In the fascist period, copies of statues of the Emperors Julius Caesar and Augustus were placed here.