The walls that defended Rome for centuries
The Aurelian Walls are Rome's largest defensive monument and the best-preserved ancient walls in the world: a circuit roughly 19 kilometres long that still crosses the city today, complete with gates, towers and long, intact stretches. Commissioned by the emperor Aurelian in the 3rd century, they mark a turning point: the moment when Rome, after centuries of security, had to defend itself once again.
The emperor Aurelian and the barbarian threat
For centuries Rome was so powerful that it needed no walls: the last circuit had been the "Servian Walls", long since outdated. But in the 3rd century, with barbarian invasions pressing on the frontiers, the city found itself vulnerable. Around 271 AD, the emperor Aurelian ordered a new, imposing wall circuit to protect the capital. The work was completed under his successor, Probus.
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How the walls were built
The circuit was a remarkable feat of engineering: around 19 km of brick walls, several metres high, with towers at regular intervals (hundreds in all), monumental gates and patrol walkways for the sentries. To speed up construction, in some places the walls absorbed pre-existing monuments, such as stretches of aqueduct and even the Pyramid of Cestius (Piramide Cestia). Over the centuries they were repeatedly raised and reinforced, notably under Maxentius and later Honorius.
The gates and the towers
Numerous gates opened along the route, each marking a major road leaving the city. The most imposing is Porta San Sebastiano (the ancient Porta Appia), at the start of the Appian Way and today home to the Museum of the Walls / Museo delle Mura. The gates were defended by towers and locking systems, true fortresses in miniature.
The walls through the centuries
The Aurelian Walls went on defending Rome for more than a millennium and a half, into the modern era, and long marked the city's boundary. Even today they are part of the urban landscape, visible in many neighbourhoods. To see them up close and walk along the top, the best stop is the Museum of the Walls / Museo delle Mura at Porta San Sebastiano.
Frequently asked questions
Who built the Aurelian Walls? The emperor Aurelian, around 271 AD, to defend Rome from the barbarian invasions; they were completed under his successor, Probus.
How long were the walls? Around 19 kilometres, with hundreds of towers and numerous monumental gates: they are the best-preserved ancient walls in the world.
Why didn't Rome have walls before? For centuries Rome's power made defences unnecessary; only the barbarian threat of the 3rd century made a major new circuit essential.
Which is the most important gate? Porta San Sebastiano (the ancient Porta Appia), the largest and best preserved, at the start of the Appian Way and today home to the Museum of the Walls.
Can you still see them today? Yes: long stretches of the walls, gates and towers are still visible across the city; at the Museum of the Walls you can even walk along one section.
Read also
- Museum of the Walls at Porta San Sebastiano: the complete guide
- What to see at the Museum of the Walls
- The wall-walk of Porta San Sebastiano
- How to get to the Museum of the Walls
- Appian Way / Via Appia Antica: the complete guide
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Article #659 · Category: Monuments · Updated: May 2026