The Porta Pia in Rome was designed by Michelangelo for Pope Pius IV, who chose the cheapest of three designs he presented. Giacomo Del Duca carried out the construction after Michelangelo's death, from 1561 to 1565, and Virginio Vespignani designed the neoclassical outer facade, completed in 1869. The page has no infobox.
The article calls Michelangelo's design picturesque and dramatic but names no style for the gate. It names no materials or dimensions. A second arch opened around 1575 to handle traffic after the nearby Porta Nomentana closed.
Lightning damaged the gate in 1851, and restoration began in 1853. Italian forces entered Rome through the nearby breach on September 20, 1870. The statues were damaged in that bombardment and relocated in 1929. The Monumento al Bersagliere (1932) stands opposite. A 1926 bomb attack on Mussolini by Gino Lucetti had no effect. The article gives no visitor details.
Comments