Porta Borsari, Verona Arch

Address: Porta Borsari, Via Porta Borsari, Verona, Veneto, Italy

Admission: Free (outdoor public monument)

Porta Borsari is an ancient Roman city gate in the historic centre of Verona, Italy, with a surviving stone façade dating to the early Roman Imperial period (1st century AD).

The gate features arched openings and decorative stonework and stands at the end of a principal street leading into Verona’s old town; it marks one of the original approaches through the Roman city walls. It is a compact monument frequently photographed from the pedestrian streets around Piazza delle Erbe.

Originally built as part of the Roman defensive and ceremonial architecture, the gate has undergone repairs and adaptations in the medieval and later periods but retains its Roman core. It functioned historically as a fortified gateway and point of passage into the city.

Porta Borsari sits in Verona’s city centre, a short walk from Piazza delle Erbe and the Arena, within the tightly knit streets of the historic urban core.

• Viewing point: Best viewed from the adjacent Corso Porta Borsari and nearby Piazza delle Erbe, where the Roman façade and stonework are most visible.

Porta Borsari is in central Verona, a short walk (5-10 minutes) from the Verona Porta Nuova train station or from Piazza Bra (home of the Arena). Several city buses stop nearby; the gate faces Via Mazzini.

• Approach Porta Borsari from Via Mazzini to see the gate framed by the street's arcade and feel its Roman scale.
• Visit early morning or late afternoon for softer light on the limestone façade and fewer tour groups.
• Look down: the original Roman paving stones are visible near the gate-check for wear patterns from ancient carts.
• Don't confuse Porta Borsari with the nearby Castelvecchio bridge; their histories overlap but their functions differ.