Pompeii. Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate. Excavated c.1803, 1814, 1952.
Part 1 Part 2
According to Van der Graaff –
[This gate] “the veru urublanu, identified variously as the Porta Nola, Porta Sarno, and Nocera, gave or received its name from a rural settlement it led to or its associated quarter in the city (Note 133).”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.106 and Note 133).
“De Jorio describes the Porta Nocera, a structure that Championnet had already identified in 1799, as largely excavated by the end of 1814 (Note 46).
The PAH, however, mentions that the gate only began to emerge of January 12, 1815, after excavators uncovered the street leading up to it.
Reports dating to roughly a month later indicate the full exposure of the Porta Nocera, noting that much of it lay ruined (Note 47).”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.15, and Notes 46 and 47).
By the 1950s, Maiuri devised a systematic plan to free the fortifications of Pompeii from the masses of excavation backfill by selling it for the construction of the new Napoli-Salerno highway and the levelling out of nearby agricultural fields. The operation included uncovering most of the southern fortifications spanning the Insula Occidentalis and the Porta Sarno. This was no mean feat.
It resulted in exposing the area near the Porta Marina and the southwestern quarter of the city.
It also proved the existence of the Porta Nocera, which by now many doubted (Note 74).
The scale of this operation hints at just how much the fortifications had disappeared since their nineteenth-century recovery.
Most of the circuit exposed today is the result of this effort.
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.18-19 and Note 74).
Looking north, and west side of gate.
Pompeii Porta di
Nocera. April 2019. Looking north to gate, city and
Vesuvius still towering over. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. June 2012. Looking north towards Via di Nocera leading to gate. Photo courtesy of Michael Binns.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking north towards gate and Via di Nocera from junction with Via delle Tombe. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta di
Nocera. April 2019.
Looking north to gate in walls leading to Via di Nocera. Photo
courtesy of Rick Bauer.
Pompeii Porta di
Nocera. December 2018. Looking north through gate to Via
di Nocera. Photo courtesy of Aude Durand.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2006. South side of gate, looking north.
Pompeii Porta di
Nocera. October 2022.
Looking north through gate onto Via di Nocera. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Pompeii Porta di
Nocera. October 2022.
Looking north into the city from the outside. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. June 1962. Looking north through gate.
Photo by Brian Philp: Pictorial Colour Slides, forwarded by Peter Woods
(P 43.1 POMPEII
Town gate Porta Noceria).
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. October 2022. Looking north to detail of top of gate. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking north along Via di Nocera from south side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
West side, looking north to Nocera Gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2006. South-west side of gate.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2006. South-west side of gate, looking west towards city wall.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2006. Mason’s marks on wall at south-west side of gate.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2006. South-west side of gate, looking towards city wall and agger.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
South-west side of gate, looking east from agger along city walls on west side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
South-west side of gate, looking south towards city walls from agger on west side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
South-west side of gate, looking south-west from agger. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.Looking towards west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
According to Van der Graaff –
“The current structure repeats the familiar layout: outer travertine bastions, a tuff gate court, and a concrete vault.
In the traditional view, each element should represent a separate construction event. The remains tell a different story.
The foundations of the gate are visible because engineers lowered the road passing through it after the establishment of the Roman colony (Note 67).
Proof of this arrangement comes from simple observation.
The sidewalk leading up to the gate, as well as the struts that once supported the gate leaves, are unduly high in comparison to the road.
The lowest four courses of the masonry composing the gate court display quarry marks and are laid down as ashlars.
By contrast, the upper courses stand vertically as orthostats and are dressed to a smooth surface.
All of the masonry of the gate court stands on a thick opus incertum foundation.
This concrete base displays a seamless tradition with the masonry of the vault behind it. (See Plate 11, as above photo).”
See Van der Graaff, I. (2018). The Fortifications of Pompeii and Ancient Italy. Routledge, (p.60).
On page 62, he continues –
“Nevertheless, given the massive expansion of the agger, the current layout of the Porta Nocera must be contemporaneous with the upgrade of the adjacent fortifications that occurred in the second century BCE (Note 70). This date makes the Porta Nocera a laboratory of sorts for the application of opus incertum as a new construction technique.”
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking north along wall on east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta
di Nocera. October 2022. West side of the gate, looking north through
gate, on right. Photo
courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. West side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011.
Detail of west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. Detail of mason’s marks on west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010. Mason’s marks on west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. Detail of mason’s marks on west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010. West side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
West side of gate, looking north to Via di Nocera. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
West side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south along west wall of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking south along west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking south along west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from west wall of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Upper south end of west wall. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2005. West side of gate, looking south.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
North end of west side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
West side of gate at north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2006. North-west side, looking south.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking south along west side from north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Looking north, and east side of gate
Porta Nocera, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking north along east side of gate at south end, with detail of Merlon capping stone.
Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Nocera, Pompeii. May 2011.
Detail of Merlon capping stone on east side of roadway at south end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta Nocera, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking south along east side of gate, with detail of Merlon capping stone. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011.
Detail of Merlon capping stone on east side of roadway at south end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
East side, looking north to Nocera gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking north on east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking east to wall at south end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. December 2006. Looking north on south-east side of gate.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011.
Looking north along wall on east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011.
East side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. Wall on east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta di
Nocera. October 2022.
Looking north towards east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking north on east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
East side of gate, looking north. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from upper east side. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking north along east side.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Detail from east side of gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Pompeii Porta di Nocera. October 2022.
Looking north through east side of gate towards Via di Nocera. Photo courtesy of Klaus Heese.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2011. Looking south along east wall of Gate. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010.
Looking north on east side of gate towards Via di Nocera. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.
Porta di Nocera or Nuceria Gate, Pompeii. May 2010. Looking south along east side from north end. Photo courtesy of Ivo van der Graaff.