Photo: The British Library, CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Fortress / Tower
Porta Querquetulana
Gate in the Servian wall of ancient Rome
- Within the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura”
At a glance
- Type
- Fortress / Tower
- Coordinates
- 41°53′18″ N, 12°29′55″ E
About
The Porta Querquetulana or Querquetularia was a gateway in the Servian Wall, named after the sacred grove of the Querquetulanae adjacent to and just within it. The grove appears not to have still existed in the latter first century BC.
The location of the gate is problematic. Lawrence Richardson located it at the edge of Regio V Esquiliae, with the Clivus Scauri passing through it. Platner located the gate and the wood on or near the Caelian Hill, but between the Porta Capena and the Porta Caelimontana. The Caelian Hill was supposed to have been named Mons Querquetulanus before it was settled by Caelius Vibenna and named for him, and the location of the gate on the Caelian is based in part on the earlier name.
In the early twenty-first century, photogrammetric data and 3D visualization have suggested that the grove of the Querquetulanae may have been incorporated into the Gardens of Maecenas. A nymphaeum from the time of Hadrian would have replaced the natural spring within it. In this view, the grove was located in Regio III, along the Via Labicana. A location on the Esquiline Hill is also possible.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Porta Querquetulana».
Photos
Getting there
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
Nearby
See on the mapMore fortresses and towers in Lazio
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Porta Querquetulana?
Porta Querquetulana is in Rome, in the province of Roma (Lazio), Italy. GPS coordinates: 41.88833, 12.49861.
What else is there to see near Porta Querquetulana?
Nearby you’ll find: San Clemente Mithraeum (200 m away), Temple of Isis (300 m away), Basilica Hilariana (300 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 3 photos
- The British Library - Rome - Porta Querquetulana — The British Library, CC0
- Planrome2b — Cassius Ahenobarbus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Porte Caelimontane externe — LPLT, CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences