Fortress / Tower, Capua (CE)
41°06′36″ N, 14°12′31″ E
No photo on Wikimedia Commons yet
Fortress / Tower
Porta di Capua
Historical fortified gate, 1230s–1557
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Coordinates
- 41°06′36″ N, 14°12′31″ E
History and description
The City Gate of Capua (Italian: Porta di Capua or Porta delle due Torri, 'Gate of the Two Towers') was a monumental fortified gate constructed between 1234 and 1239 at Capua, on the road between Naples and Rome, on the orders of Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor.
While it survived, the gate was famous, and is often thought to have been influential on other constructions and sculptures of the period, especially in respect of the large statue of the seated emperor himself, which mostly survives in different museums.
The gate was destroyed in 1557 on the orders of Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, the viceroy of Naples. Much of the sculpture is preserved today in the Museo Campano in Capua, but the sculpture of Frederick was severely damaged when French troops marched south to support the Parthenopean Republic in 1799. The head is now in the Bode Museum in Berlin, and most of the body in the Museo Campano.
Description and context
The gateway itself was a Romanesque arch in a façade between two large towers. The façade was programmatically decorated with sculptures to glorify the emperor, including one of Frederick himself.
Medieval Capua was built on the site of ancient Casilinum (while ancient Capua is today Santa Maria Capua Vetere). A Roman bridge known as the Ponte Casilino crossed the Volturno from the north. Frederick II had a new gate built on the north side of the Volturno before the bridge. The gate was built to greet travellers coming from the Papal States.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Porta di Capua».
Photos
Getting there
CapuaTrain, nearest
1.0 km as the crow flies
Porta di Capua
Aeroporto di Napoli Capodichino26.0 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
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More fortresses and towers in Campania
Frequently asked questions
Where is Porta di Capua?
Porta di Capua is in Capua, in the province of Caserta (Campania), Italy. GPS coordinates: 41.10988, 14.20852.
What else is there to see near Porta di Capua?
Nearby you’ll find: Casilinum (100 m away), Palazzo Fieramosca (300 m away), Campanian Provincial Museum of Capua (400 m away).
Sources and licences
Text. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Data. Wikidata (CC0); opening hours and contacts OpenStreetMap (ODbL).
Photos. Wikimedia Commons, author and licence on every image.
Credits for the 4 photos
- Berlín Capua — Miguel Hermoso Cuesta, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Capua - 4025898325 — Shadowgate, CC BY 2.0
- Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Capua, 1965) - BEIC 6356005 — Paolo Monti, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Roman Bridge and Towers of Frederick II, the gateway to ancient Capua — Tery14, CC BY-SA 4.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences