The Porta Romana has always been one of the most important city gates of Viterbo, not least because it is located near the train station, to which it also gave its name.
Porta Romana Viterbo
Address and opening times
The Porta Romana can be viewed from the outside. It is located at the end of the Via Garibaldi, near Piazza San Sisto.
History and description
The Porta Romana is the city gate giving immediate access to the historic center of Viterbo. There used to be another gate here, under the tower that was later converted into the bell tower of the San Sisto Church.
The gate was built in 1649 by Francesco Maiolini, as a replacement for this Porta San Sisto.
The doors were made by Paolo Pieruzzi. The inscription dates back to 1705 and is a tribute to the then provincial governor Marcellino Albergotti.
The original name of the Porta Romana was Porta Pamphilia or Porta Innocenziana. The reason was that it was consecrated by Pope Innocenzo X who had come to Viterbo on occasion of the wedding between his brother Panfilo and Donna Olimpia Pamphili.
Nowadays, the gate is called Porta Romana for the simple fact that it is located on the road to Rome.
The Pope’s coat of arms can be seen above the gate, along with the one of Clement XI. Between the two emblems is the statue of Santa Rosa, the city’s patron saint.
The holes in the bricks were caused by cannon shots by French troops in 1798.