Aurelian Walls Archaeological Site

Address: Aurelian Walls (Mura Aureliane), encircling Rome’s historic centre, Lazio, Italy

Admission: Free to visit (public sections)

The Aurelian Walls are the late Roman defensive walls built around the city of Rome in the 3rd century AD and remain a major surviving element of the ancient city’s fortifications. Construction took place under Emperor Aurelian between about 271 and 275 AD to enclose Rome’s expanded urban area.

Walking routes and archaeological parks allow visitors to see long continuous sections of the walls, restored towers and several original gates such as Porta Maggiore, Porta San Paolo and Porta San Sebastiano. Interpretive panels and nearby museums explain Roman defensive architecture and show how the walls relate to ancient roads and aqueducts.

Secondary highlights include viewpoints from surrounding hills where the full line of the circuit can be appreciated and visits to adjacent monuments that show the walls’ role in the medieval and modern city. Several gates and towers have been converted to museums or cultural spaces, making the walls accessible at multiple points around Rome.

The walls were commissioned by Emperor Aurelian and built quickly in the early 270s AD as a response to increased threats to Rome; they enclosed the then-urbanized area of the city. Over subsequent centuries the circuit was repaired, heightened and altered by later emperors, medieval authorities and Renaissance restorers, retaining a continuous defensive perimeter through Rome’s later history.

The walls encircle large parts of central Rome and run near landmarks such as the Aurelian-era gates and the ancient Via Ostiensis, with easy access from central Rome and provincial transport links. Many well-preserved stretches are visible within the modern urban fabric and at archaeological sites around the city.

• Length and survival: The circuit runs for about 19 kilometers (roughly 12 miles) and still includes many original stretches, towers and gates that can be seen around Rome’s perimeter.
• Best viewpoints: Good vantage points include the Janiculum and the Aventine hills, where long stretches and gate complexes are visible against the city skyline.

What to See#

• Porta Maggiore: A surviving major gate located on the southeastern stretch of the walls, historically linked to the ancient aqueducts and Roman road network.
• Porta San Paolo: A prominent gate on the southern section of the walls close to the Pyramid of Cestius, historically an important route to the Ostia and coastal roads.
• Porta San Sebastiano: A well-preserved gate on the southern side of the circuit, with visible Byzantine and later medieval alterations.

The Aurelian Walls encircle Rome’s historic centre and are very accessible on foot from central Rome. Different sections are nearest to Metro B stops such as Colosseo (for the eastern flank near the Colosseum) and Circo Massimo (for southern sections); many parts run alongside major roads and are an easy walk or short taxi ride from Rome’s central train stations.

• Visit early morning or late afternoon for strong side-lighting on the brickwork and fewer tourists; the warm light at those times makes details and texture of the walls stand out.
• Enter through Porta San Sebastiano and check opening times for the Museo delle Mura - the museum lets you walk along a restored section of the walls, an experience many passersby miss.
• Combine a walk along the Aurelian Walls with a stroll on the nearby Appian Way to see less-visited stretches of the fortifications and to avoid the concentrated crowds found near the Colosseum.