Via Portuensis
Encyclopedia
Via Portuensis was an ancient Roman
road, leading to the Portus
constructed by Claudius
on the right bank of the Tiber
, at its mouth. It started from the Pons Aemilius
, and the first part of its course is identical with that of the Via Campana
. The Porta Portuensis of the Aurelian Walls
had a double arch, probably owing to the amount of traffic it had to carry, but the divergence occurred a good deal further on, probably a mile from the gate. The Via Portuensis went to the right into hilly country, while the Via Campana kept to the valley of the Tiber. The roads rejoined at the modern Ponte Galeria
.
With the growth of importance of the Via Portuensis from the time of Constantine onwards, that of the Via Ostiensis
correspondingly decreased. It is to be noted that Procopius
, who tells us how barges were dragged up the river by teams of oxen moving along it, must be describing the towpath, and not either the Via Portuensis or even the Via Campana, which is in many places at quite a considerable distance from the winding course of the river.
Due to its large amounts of traffic, the road was eventually reconstructed with two parallel roads — one for traffic going one direction, and the other for traffic going the other. This was considered to be the world's first dual carriageway
.
Today Rome
's Via Portuense follows a similar path. The road starts today from the Porta Portese
and, after Ponte Galeria, ends in the comune
of Fiumicino.
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....
road, leading to the Portus
Portus
Porto or Portus was a town in Lazio or Latium, just south of Rome, Italy. It was an ancient harbour on the right bank of the mouth of the Tiber.-Claudian phase:Rome's original harbour was Ostia...
constructed by Claudius
Claudius
Claudius , was Roman Emperor from 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, he was the son of Drusus and Antonia Minor. He was born at Lugdunum in Gaul and was the first Roman Emperor to be born outside Italy...
on the right bank of the Tiber
Tiber
The Tiber is the third-longest river in Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Umbria and Lazio to the Tyrrhenian Sea. It drains a basin estimated at...
, at its mouth. It started from the Pons Aemilius
Pons Aemilius
The Pons Aemilius , today called Ponte Rotto, is the oldest Roman stone bridge in Rome, Italy. Preceded by a wooden version, it was rebuilt in stone in the 2nd century BC...
, and the first part of its course is identical with that of the Via Campana
Via Campana
The Via Campana was one of the main roads of the Roman Empire. It begins at the Flavian Amphitheatre at Pozzuoli and ran through several ancient craters, passing the town of Qualiano and ending at a junction with the via Appia at the town of Giugliano.Four kilometres from Pozzuoli it crosses the...
. The Porta Portuensis of the Aurelian Walls
Aurelian Walls
The Aurelian Walls is a line of city walls built between 271 and 275 in Rome, Italy, during the reign of the Roman Emperors Aurelian and Probus....
had a double arch, probably owing to the amount of traffic it had to carry, but the divergence occurred a good deal further on, probably a mile from the gate. The Via Portuensis went to the right into hilly country, while the Via Campana kept to the valley of the Tiber. The roads rejoined at the modern Ponte Galeria
Ponte Galeria
Ponte Galeria is a zona in the comune of Rome, Italy. On 31 May 2005, it had a population of 7,501....
.
With the growth of importance of the Via Portuensis from the time of Constantine onwards, that of the Via Ostiensis
Via Ostiensis
The Via Ostiensis was an important road in ancient Rome. It ran west 30 km from the city of Rome to its important sea port of Ostia Antica, from which it took its name. The road began near the Forum Boarium, ran between the Aventine and the Tiber River along its left bank, and left the...
correspondingly decreased. It is to be noted that Procopius
Procopius
Procopius of Caesarea was a prominent Byzantine scholar from Palestine. Accompanying the general Belisarius in the wars of the Emperor Justinian I, he became the principal historian of the 6th century, writing the Wars of Justinian, the Buildings of Justinian and the celebrated Secret History...
, who tells us how barges were dragged up the river by teams of oxen moving along it, must be describing the towpath, and not either the Via Portuensis or even the Via Campana, which is in many places at quite a considerable distance from the winding course of the river.
Due to its large amounts of traffic, the road was eventually reconstructed with two parallel roads — one for traffic going one direction, and the other for traffic going the other. This was considered to be the world's first dual carriageway
Dual carriageway
A dual carriageway is a class of highway with two carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation...
.
Today Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
's Via Portuense follows a similar path. The road starts today from the Porta Portese
Porta Portese
Porta Portese is a gate in Rome, Italy.The gate was built in 1644 as part of the Janiculum Walls commissioned by Pope Urban VIII, replacing the Porta Portuensis. Until the late 19th century, the Ripa Grande port was located in the nearby...
and, after Ponte Galeria, ends in the comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
of Fiumicino.