lions door

Porta Leoni is one of the most fascinating testimonies of Roman Verona, an ancient city gate from the 1st century BC that still stands today in the throbbing heart of the historic centre, completely integrated into the modern urban fabric. Unlike other monumental gates such as Porta Nuova or Porta Palio, Porta Leoni presents itself as an open-air archaeological site, with its Roman remains visible in their thousand-year stratification.

The name derives from an ancient sculpture of a lion that stood nearby, probably from the Roman era. Of the original structure, the internal facade is visible with two arched openings, while the external facade is buried beneath the current street level, a full 3 metres lower than in Roman times.

This difference in height bears witness to the progressive raising of the ground that occurred over the centuries and allows visitors to visually understand the archaeological stratification of the city.

Origins in the first century B.C.

Porta Leoni was built in the 1st century BC as one of the main gates of the city walls that protected Roman Verona. The gate opened along the main decumanus, the main east-west artery of the Roman city that crossed the forum (the current Piazza delle Erbe) and connected the different urban areas. Through Porta Leoni transited goods and travellers coming from the east, along the road that led to Aquileia and the eastern provinces of the Empire.

The original structure was monumental and imposing, built in local white stone according to the canons of Roman military architecture.

It featured a double fornix (two side-by-side arches) to allow the simultaneous passage of pedestrians and carts in both directions. The side towers, of which only the foundations remain, stood on either side of the arches to control access and defend the gate in case of attack. The entire structure was clad in marble and decorated with cornices, mouldings and probably statues that made it a monumental entrance worthy of one of the most important cities of Roman Cisalpine Gaul.

During the Middle Ages, as happened to many Roman structures, Porta Leoni was incorporated into new constructions that arose above and around it. Medieval houses were literally built leaning against the Roman remains, reusing their stones and foundations. The progressive raising of the street level, due to the accumulation of debris and continuous reconstructions, meant that the base of the Roman gate ended up completely buried.

Over the centuries, the gate gradually lost its military and defensive function, transforming into a simple passage between buildings.

The memory of its Roman origin was maintained in the toponymy and local legends, but the structure itself remained hidden under metres of earth and later buildings. Only in 1959 were the archaeological excavations carried out that brought to light the internal facade of the gate, showing the public the magnificence of Roman architecture and the dramatic difference in height between the ancient and modern levels.

The 1959 excavations made it possible to understand the original layout of Porta Leoni and to recover numerous archaeological finds. An area of about 150 square metres was excavated that brought to light not only the remains of the gate, but also stretches of the Roman paving of the road that crossed it, foundations of adjacent buildings and materials from various eras documenting the continuous occupation of the site.

The internal facade of the gate, the one facing the centre of the Roman city, is the best preserved and visible part today. The two twin arches in white stone can be distinguished, separated by a central pillar, with the blocks perfectly squared according to Roman building technique.

Above the arches there are still visible traces of architectural decorations: cornices, mouldings and holes for the insertion of decorative metal elements. On the sides of the arches, the lateral walls show the stratification of the different building phases, with Roman, medieval and modern masonry overlapping to create an architectural palimpsest of extraordinary complexity.

Today Porta Leoni is a permanent archaeological site accessible free of charge. The area has been arranged with walkways and explanatory panels that allow visitors to understand the history of the monument and its urban context.

In the evening, the scenic lighting enhances the Roman remains creating an evocative atmosphere in the heart of the historic centre. The site is particularly fascinating because it shows the continuity of life of the city through the millennia: the Veronese continue to pass daily next to these remains, creating a living dialogue between past and present.