Porta Romana (Milan)
Encyclopedia
Porta Romana is a former city gate
of Milan
, Italy
. In its present form, the gate dates back to the 16th century Spanish walls of Milan; its origins, anyway, can be traced further back to the Roman walls of the city, which had a corresponding "Roman Gate" roughly in the same area.
The name "Porta Romana" is used both to refer to the gate proper and to the surrounding district ("quartiere
"), part of the Zone 4 administrative division of Milan, located south-east of the city centre.
The structure of the gate is inspired by Roman
triumphal arch
es of the doric order
.
. Today, the inner part of the Porta Romana district is adjacent to the city centre, and thus has a similar character as the centre itself: it is mostly a shopping district, with sumptuous 19th century- and early 20th century buildings that are either used as prestigious offices or as residences for the Milanese élite. Several institutions, including embassies and high level schools, are based in this area. Milanese celebrities that have lived here include Enzo Biagi
, Enzo Bearzot
, Enzo Tortora
, and Dario Fo
. The southern part of the district, farther away from the centre, is correspondingly less luxurious. Specific situations of urban decay, such as slum
s developing in abandoned traits of the old railway, have been reported.
Much of the activity today centres around the Policlinico hospital and the famous Bocconi university so there is a young population by day, although there is not the same student buzz here as in other parts of the city.
City gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. Other terms include port.-Uses:City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods and animals...
of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. In its present form, the gate dates back to the 16th century Spanish walls of Milan; its origins, anyway, can be traced further back to the Roman walls of the city, which had a corresponding "Roman Gate" roughly in the same area.
The name "Porta Romana" is used both to refer to the gate proper and to the surrounding district ("quartiere
Quartiere
A quartiere is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The word is from quarto, or fourth, and was thus properly used only for towns divided into four neighborhoods. The English word "quarter" to mean a neighborhood A quartiere (plural: quartieri) is a subdivision of certain Italian towns. The...
"), part of the Zone 4 administrative division of Milan, located south-east of the city centre.
History
The Roman walls of Milan already had a gate facing in the same direction as Porta Romana; yet it was located much closer to the city centre, in a place that corresponds to what is now Piazza Missori. In the Middle Ages (12th century) the walls were enlarged, and the gate was moved outwards in the direction of modern Corso di Porta Venezia. In the 16th century, a third system of walls was built under the Spanish rule, and the gate was moved further away from the centre to its current location. The construction of the gate was completed by 1596, on the occasion of Queen Margaret of Spain visiting Milan. For two centuries, Porta Romana was the most sumptuous gate of Milan.Location and structure
Porta Romana is located at the centre of a city square called Piazza Medaglie d'Oro, about 2 km south-east of the city centre. It is placed at the conjunction of several major streets, namely Corso Lodi (to the south east), Viale Montenero (to the north east), and Corso di Porta Romana (leading north west, towards the Duomo).The structure of the gate is inspired by Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
triumphal arch
Triumphal arch
A triumphal arch is a monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be...
es of the doric order
Doric order
The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...
.
The district
The area around the Porta Romana gate is one of the historic districts (rioni) of Milan; the rione had its own coat of arms, vermilion redVermilion
Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
. Today, the inner part of the Porta Romana district is adjacent to the city centre, and thus has a similar character as the centre itself: it is mostly a shopping district, with sumptuous 19th century- and early 20th century buildings that are either used as prestigious offices or as residences for the Milanese élite. Several institutions, including embassies and high level schools, are based in this area. Milanese celebrities that have lived here include Enzo Biagi
Enzo Biagi
Enzo Biagi was an Italian journalist and writer.-Biography:Biagi was born in Lizzano in Belvedere, and began his career as a journalist in Bologna. Active in journalism for six decades and author of some eighty books, Biagi won numerous awards, among which the 1979 Saint Vincent prize and the...
, Enzo Bearzot
Enzo Bearzot
Vincenzo "Enzo" Bearzot was an Italian association football player and manager. He is best known for having led the Italian national football team to a triumph in the 1982 FIFA World Cup.-Playing career:...
, Enzo Tortora
Enzo Tortora
Enzo Tortora , was a popular TV host and anchorman on national RAI television, who was falsely accused of being a member of the Camorra and drug trafficking...
, and Dario Fo
Dario Fo
Dario Fo is an Italian satirist, playwright, theater director, actor and composer. His dramatic work employs comedic methods of the ancient Italian commedia dell'arte, a theatrical style popular with the working classes. He currently owns and operates a theatre company with his wife, actress...
. The southern part of the district, farther away from the centre, is correspondingly less luxurious. Specific situations of urban decay, such as slum
Slum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s developing in abandoned traits of the old railway, have been reported.
Much of the activity today centres around the Policlinico hospital and the famous Bocconi university so there is a young population by day, although there is not the same student buzz here as in other parts of the city.
External links
- History of Porta Romana (in Italian)