- UNESCO
- Free 1st Sunday
Photo: Lasha Tskhondia - L.VII.C. (model creator) from a screen capture by Mark Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Archaeological site
Portico of Pompey
A large quadriporticus located directly behind the scaenae frons of the Theatre of Pompey
- 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
- Archaeological site
- Coordinates
- 41°53′42″ N, 12°28′26″ E
History and description
The Portico of Pompey (Latin: Porticus Pompeii), also known as the Great Walkway (Ambulatio Magni) and Hall of a Hundred Pillars (Hecatostylon), was a large quadriporticus located directly behind the scaenae frons of the Theatre of Pompey. It enclosed a large and popular public garden in the ancient city of Rome. The porticus was dedicated in 55 BC. and has a history spanning hundreds of years. The colonnades contained arcades and galleries that displayed sculptures and paintings collected from years of war campaigns of its patron and builder, Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Over time the site became rows of shops that occupied what were the galleries and arcades. As the ground level rose from constant flooding from the Tiber River, much of the original architectural elements were re-used by shop owners to adorn their structures at higher levels. Today, many of these shops still exist and fragments of the old theatre and porticus can be seen embedded in the ancient walls of many of the buildings.
History
The ancient city of Rome was designed with covered walkways, public gardens as well as large pools and fountains that were common by the 1st century AD. Citizens would stroll throughout the city under these colonnades, shaded from the sun and rain. The first and most popular of these gardens was located in the quadriporticus that Pompey built to adjoin the theatre that also bore his name.
Pompey, impressed or inspired by what he saw during his years of travel and campaigning for Rome, returned with a desire to build a monument to himself larger than any other before. A theatre, porticus and curia were built in a huge complex that became a symbol of Roman culture for centuries and was emulated across the Republic and empire.
Architecture
The entrance to the theatre complex was tightly controlled at either side of the Curia of Pompey. This was to guide the visitor's sight directly along the inner garden area to the main doorway (regia) to the stage of the theatre and up to the temple of Venus Victrix. This sightline was permanently disrupted in 32 BC when Augustus had a stone scaena built.
Text from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Full article: «Portico of Pompey».
Photos
Getting there
Roma San PietroTrain, nearest
1.6 km as the crow flies
Portico of Pompey
Aeroporto di Roma-Ciampino14.5 km
Distances are as the crow flies, not walking or driving.
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Nearby
See on the mapMore archaeological sites in Lazio
- Free 1st Sunday
- Free 1st Sunday
- UNESCO
Frequently asked questions
Where is Portico of Pompey?
Portico of Pompey is in Rome, in the province of Roma (Lazio), Italy. GPS coordinates: 41.89500, 12.47400.
What else is there to see near Portico of Pompey?
Nearby you’ll find: Theatre of Pompey (0 m away), Temple of Neptune (0 m away), Temple of Fortuna Equestris (100 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 2 photos
- Theatre of Pompey Sketch up model — Lasha Tskhondia - L.VII.C. (model creator) from a screen capture by Mark Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Planrome2b — Cassius Ahenobarbus, CC BY-SA 3.0
Updated 28 October 2026. All sources and licences