Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 9 - Porta Pertusa, Viale Vaticano

The Porta Pertusa is a gate in the Leonine Wall, which was built in the 9th century by Pope Leo IV (more on the wall later in this series, I would think). It consists of one large gate and two smaller gates, one on each side of the main gate.

It's not clear when the gate was built. Most sources put it after the return of the papacy from Avignon, but there may be a reference to it in a document from 1279. We do know it was a later addition to the wall, as the name comes from the Latin word for drilled, pertusus). The thinking is that the return of the papacy led to increased congestion at existing gates, so a new one was added. It's also thought that the gate was only used by the Curia and other Vatican figures.

The gate itself is notable for its use of bossard, uncut stones with a face projecting from the facade. The uncut projection is left to be shaped later into decoration, coats of arms, etc. In this case, the Medici coat of arms was carved above the large main door of the gate, reflecting the restoration of the gate and part of the wall by Pius IV.