Porta Borsari is a Roman gateway woven into the streets of central Verona. Its pale limestone façade has two arched entrances beneath tiers of windows and decorative columns, giving what was once a city gate the presence of a civic monument. Today, pedestrians pass through it on their way between the Adige and Piazza delle Erbe.
The gate stood on the Via Postumia, an important Roman road, and was known in antiquity as Porta Iovia, probably after a nearby temple dedicated to Jupiter. The surviving façade dates largely from the first century AD. Its later name is thought to refer to medieval toll collectors, or bursarii. Look up for the inscription recording repairs to Verona’s walls under Emperor Gallienus in the third century.
Porta Borsari is free to view and easy to include on a walk through Verona’s historic centre. Come in the early morning for a quieter look at the carved stonework, then follow Corso Porta Borsari towards Piazza delle Erbe, about five minutes away on foot. The gateway sits on a working street, so watch for cyclists and delivery vehicles as you stop to take photographs.