Servian Wall | |
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Rome, Italy | |
Coordinates | 41°54′06″N 12°30′06″E / 41.90167°N 12.50167°E |
Type | Defensive wall |
Height | Up to 10 metres (33 ft) |
Site information | |
Open to the public | Open to public. |
Condition | Ruinous. Fragmentary remains |
Site history | |
Built | 4th century BC (Livy dates grotta oscura sections from 378 BC) |
Materials | Tuff |
Events | Second Punic War |
Garrison information | |
Occupants | Romans |
The Servian Wall (Latin: Murus Servii Tullii; Italian: Mura Serviane) is an ancient Roman defensive barrier constructed around the city of Rome in the early 4th century BC. The wall was built of volcanic tuff and was up to 10 m (33 ft) in height in places, 3.6 m (12 ft) wide at its base, 11 km (6.8 mi) long,[1] and is believed to have had 16 main gates, of which only one or two have survived, and enclosed a total area of 246 hectares (610 acres). In the 3rd century AD it was superseded by the construction of the larger Aurelian Walls as the city of Rome grew beyond the boundary of the Servian Wall.[2]