Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Aurelian Wall
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Aurelian Walls, Rome
Read Next
Florence Baptistery of Saint John, Italy
9 Historic Buildings in Florence
Colosseum, Rome, Italy. (Flavian Amphitheatre, arena)
19 Historic Buildings to Visit in Rome
Scene from the motion picture "Romeo and Juliet" with Olivia Hussey (Juliet) and Leonard Whiting (Romeo), 1968; directed by Franco Zeffirelli.
All the World’s a Stage: 6 Places in Shakespeare, Then and Now
Caption: French troops are being relieved by fresh troops at Verdun. View shows horses lined up in front of shelters, ca. 1914-1918. (World War I)
5 Surprisingly Fascinating Forts in France
Discover
A human Inuit skull in a stone chambered cairn in Ilulissat in Greenland. These ancient graves are pre christian and are at least 2000
14 Tough Questions Answered
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Los Angeles Police Department wanted flyer on Elizabeth Short, aka the "Black Dahlia," who was brutally murdered in January 1947. The FBI supported the Los Angeles Police Department in the case, including by identifying Short through her fingerprints that
America’s 5 Most Notorious Cold Cases (Including One You May Have Thought Was Already Solved)
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Iraqi Army Soldiers from the 9th Mechanized Division learning to operate and maintain M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tanks at Besmaya Combat Training Center, Baghdad, Iraq, 2011. Military training. Iraq war. U.S. Army
8 Deadliest Wars of the 21st Century
Rural Irish landscape, Sligo, Ireland.
Why Is Ireland Two Countries?
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Aurelian Walls, Rome
Aurelian Walls, Rome Aurelian Walls near the Porta San Paolo, Rome.

Aurelian Wall

rampart, Rome, Italy
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Aurelian-Wall
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Also known as: Mura Aureliane
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History
Italian:
Mura Aureliane
See all related content

Aurelian Wall, rampart of imperial Rome, first constructed in the second half of the 3rd century ad. It was begun by the emperor Aurelian, completed by his successor Probus, improved under the emperor Honorius in the early 5th century, and restored by Theodoric the Great in the 6th century and by several medieval popes.

It was originally constructed of tufa concrete, with a facing of triangular bricks. It was about 12.5 miles (20 km) long and about 13 feet (4 m) thick. Originally the walls stood 24 feet (7.2 m) high but were raised by Flavius Stilicho, the great general of the emperor Honorius, to a height of 35 feet (10.6 m) and reinforced by 380 towers standing about 100 feet (30 m) apart. There were 16 gates in the circuit. Much of the wall still survives.