Porta Borsari

Porta Borsari is a Roman city gate on Corso Porta Borsari in the historic centre of Verona, Italy, and marks the start of one of the city's main shopping streets. It dates from the first century AD, when it served as the principal entrance to Roman Verona along the Via Postumia, the road from Genoa to Aquileia. Its original Latin name was Porta Iovia, or Gate of Jupiter. The current name, Borsari, comes from the medieval term for the officials who collected tolls here, the borsarii. The facade, which faces the street, is built of white marble and has two arched openings flanked by columns, with two tiers of windows above, each capped by an arched pediment. An inscription from 265 AD under Emperor Gallienus records the city's refortification, and the stonework shows how the gate was reinforced in that period. The back of the monument is plainer, reflecting its role as part of the town wall rather than a purely ceremonial structure. Beneath the street, excavated Roman paving and remains are sometimes visible through glass, showing the level of the ancient road. A visit takes about 10 to 15 minutes, which is enough to walk through the gate and look at the facade and inscription. The best photo angle is from a few metres back in the street to take in the full facade, and morning or late afternoon light picks out the marble details. Crowds are modest because the gate sits on a busy pedestrian street where people pass by rather than stop. Midday and weekends are the busiest times when shoppers fill the corso. The gate is about a five-minute walk from Piazza delle Erbe, and cafes and boutiques line the street beyond, so it is easy to include in a walk. Visitors should take care with traffic on the side streets, since the corso is partly open to local vehicles.