Porta Santo Spirito
The Porta Santo Spirito, also Porta di Santo Spirito, one of the city gates in Rome that have been created under Pope Leo IV in the course of construction of the Leonine Wall. Under Pope Paul III. In the 16th century it should be rebuilt monumental, but was never completed.
Position and original integration
The gate was one of only three that gave access to the Civitas leoniana, today essentially the XIV rione Borgo, and in the Vatican after the establishment of the Leonine Wall. The entire wall with the gates was consecrated by the Pope and the clergy on 27 June 852. The name of the gate was originally Porta dei Sassoni derived from the Schola Saxonum that existed in close proximity to the then established goal since 727. At this part of history still remembers the name of the former hospice Santo Spirito in Sassia, which is located only about 25 meters north of the gate. The original purpose of the entire system was the protection against Saracen attacks which had threatened cities like Naples, Amalfi and Gaeta in the 9th century and were spread on city Roman territory.
More history
The Leonine Wall and with it the gates and towers were still changed several times. The ( counter- ) pope John XXIII. made from 1411 parts torn off, the Popes Nicholas V and Alexander VI. this rebuild. For the Porta Santo Spirito also was followed by multiple changes what is visible on the inside of the door, in the passage.
After the Sack of Rome in 1527 was the need to protect their territory and that of the city of Rome more for all the popes. Pope Paul III. let the old walls in the course of renewals provided with bastions, to strengthen them and to modernize increasingly against possible attacks with artillery.
With the extensive fortification works was Antonio da Sangallo the Younger from 1543/44 commissioned, as well as with the redesign of the Porta Santo Spirito. Even in 1545 worked on the gate. Giorgio Vasari mentions the gate in his Le vite dei più eccellenti architetti, pittori et Scultori italiani and gives as the reason for non-completion, that there fundamental conflicts between Da Sangallo and Michelangelo had been on overhauling the Borgo. But would also be conceivable that simply because Sangallo's death in 1546 prevented further construction.
Working as Sangallo and present appearance
Although the gate was never completed as planned and completed in the upper part until later, it is still an important secular building in the transition of the High Renaissance to Baroque. Since Sangallo's original floor plan drawings are partly still exist and are now housed in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
At the time of cessation of construction works the southern side of town located theater was running about three-quarters, the northern, into town looking part was never started. Da Sangallo was based on a variant of ancient triumphal arch architecture. The unfinished face side is built of travertine. In addition to the central archway he exhibited two strong niches, the facade is divided by four hochgesockelten three-quarter columns of the Doric order. It is also noteworthy that the facade does not run in a straight line, but a segmental arch -shaped floor plan has.
Had the system been completed, so it probably would have traded the " complex " system of Roman city gates. Dorothee Heinzelmann noticed the Porta Santo Spirito: " Thus, although the Porta S. Spirito embodies the close following the ancient triumphal arches form the ideas of the High Renaissance, however, appears in its sculptural form essential features of Baroque architecture anticipate. ".