003.

Porta Salaria olim Collina

Porta Salaria once spanned the Via Salaria Nova. This road, built in Republican times, was a branch of the Via Salaria Vetus which passes through Porta Pinciana, Plate 2, and led to the higher part of the city. In 1870, during the attack on the papal city by the Italian troops, the gate was badly damaged by artillery fire. It was rebuilt by the architect Virginio Vespignani in 1873, but demolished in 1921 to make way for traffic. A change in the paving pattern of the modern street indicates the location of the ancient towers. No trace is left of the two structures on the right side of the image, though both are clearly visible on the contemporary Nolli map. In the lower right hand corner the seated figure drawing on a large sheet of paper may well represent Vasi himself in the act of preparing this drawing for his Magnificenze.