Porta Maggiore (the ancient Roman gate at the convergence of Via Prenestina and Via Labicana, the gate in the Aurelian Walls that incorporates the most architecturally complex single ancient structure in Rome: the double aqueduct arch that wasn't a gate at all until the Aurelian Walls of 271-275 AD incorporated it as a gate, but was originally the carrier of two separate water mains (the Aqua Claudia completed in 52 AD by Emperor Claudius (the Claudian aqueduct. 69km long, the most technically ambitious of the 11 Rome aqueducts, bringing water from the Anio valley to the Caelian Hill) and the Anio Novus (the New Anio, the longest Roman aqueduct at 87km, also completed in 52 AD, running parallel to the Aqua Claudia and using its arches as a superstructure)).
The specific architectural complexity: the Porta Maggiore (looking from the exterior) presents three tiers, the ground level (the two road arches, Via Prenestina and Via Labicana passages that Claudius cut through the existing aqueduct foundation), the intermediate tier (the Aqua Claudia water channel at 28m above ground level), and the upper tier (the Anio Novus water channel, 3m above the Claudia, at the highest point of the gate structure). The travertine inscription on the attic (the three-line dedication by Claudius (52 AD), Vespasian (71 AD), and Titus (81 AD) documenting the successive restorations) records the specific governmental attention that the most productive water source in Rome received in the 1st century AD.
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Porta Maggiore: Eurysaces Tomb, Underground Basilica, and Visit
The Eurysaces Tomb
Tomba di Marco Virgilio Eurisace (the baker's tomb, the 1st-century BC monument of the freedman baker Marcus Virgilius Eurysaces visible against the southern face of the Porta Maggiore gate, the specific tomb whose cylindrical elements (the 33 stone cylinders protruding from the frieze of the monument) represent the bread-making vessels (the dough containers, the gestationes, the measuring vessels used in the Roman bread production) and the specific frieze (the bas-relief sequence showing the complete Roman bread-making process: the grain measurement, the milling, the kneading, the shaping, and the oven loading) that Eurysaces chose as the eternal expression of his professional identity as one of Rome's most successful bakery contractors): the tomb is freely visible from the pavement adjacent to the Porta Maggiore gate at all hours, no ticket required for the exterior view.
Porta Maggiore: tours & tickets
Compare guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and day trips for Porta Maggiore.
See availability & prices →Compare tours on Viator →We may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.The Underground Basilica
Basilica Sotterranea di Porta Maggiore (the underground Neopythagorean basilica discovered by accident during railway construction in 1917, the 1st-century BC or AD underground hall (22m × 9m, 9m deep) decorated with the most complete surviving Neopythagorean iconographic program in the Roman world (the stucco reliefs covering the vault and walls with the specific mythological scenes of the Neopythagorean afterlife theology, the Sappho leaping from the Leucadian rock, Ganymede carried to Olympus, Medea and Jason)): accessible on guided tours organized by the Soprintendenza Speciale di Roma (tours typically on Saturday and Sunday, advance booking required at soprintendenzaspecialeroma.it. Limited to 20 visitors per session).
Q&A: Porta Maggiore
Is the Porta Maggiore area safe to visit?
The Porta Maggiore traffic junction (the specific circular intersection where Via Prenestina, Via Labicana, and Viale Carlo Felice converge under the ancient gate) is a heavily trafficked road intersection, the specific pedestrian safety consideration (the multiple traffic lanes and the tram tracks) requires standard urban road-crossing precaution. The monument itself (the gate structure) is surrounded by road traffic on all sides and isn't accessible for physical contact visit from the road level. The best viewing position for the Porta Maggiore: the elevated view from the Piazza di Porta Maggiore tram stop platform (the tram tracks pass directly beneath the ancient arches) or the pavement adjacent to the Eurysaces tomb on the southern side.
Internal Links
- Acquedotti Romani: Porta Maggiore e il Sistema Idrico
- Fotografare Porta Maggiore: Gli Archi degli Acquedotti
- Roma Antica Fuori Stagione: Porta Maggiore
- Arte Sotterranea Roma: La Basilica Neopitagorica
- Roma Nascosta: I Monumenti Sconosciuti
- Basilica Sotterranea: Prenotazione e Orari 2026
- Il Forno di Eurisace: Il Panettiere Romano
