Porta Borsari is the name of the town gate that marks the southwestern entrance to the ancient Verona, Italy. Its original Roman name was Porta Iovia, due to its location close to the temple of Jupiter. In the middle Ages it was called Porta di San Zeno and it finally received its present name which was derived from the guard soldiers which were paid the dazio and called bursari in Latin.
The gate is a wonder to look at with all its guard towers, Corinthian capitals and ancient architectural style. Its prime purpose was to protect the city’s entrance. Its structure comprises of a small fortress which encloses a courtyard.
Its exquisite façade was built in white limestone. It comprised of an upper part which was mainly a two-floor wall with twelve arched windows. Its lower half also had two arches flanked by semi-columns with Corinthian capitals which support the entablature and pediment. All the sculptures situated on its columns were masterpieces and extremely valuable at one point of time.
Historians believed that this gate was constructed over the ruins of another older gate. At one point of time this gate marked the city’s main entrance and was thus, adorned with a large number of inscriptions and sculpture to make it look good. However today much of it is in ruins.
Even then it is good to be in its presence and feel the strong sense of history that it exudes. If you move from the Porta Borsari south on the Corso Cavour, you walk on a 2,000-year-old road and here you will find a host of ancient buildings that make good sightseeing.
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