The port
Up until a few decades ago, the port of Civitavecchia could be considered a piece of architectonic jewelry, with the main structure of the Roman masterpiece still in tact. In fact, the port, which was fruit of great ancient experience, had never been changed, not even by the Popes who limited themselves to substituting the temples and porticos destroyed by the cruelty of man and centuries of erosion with new ones. Amongst other things, the men which the pontiffs called to supervise the construction of these monuments, such as Bramante, Michelangelo, Antonio da San Gallo and Bernini, just to mention a few, were definitely at the height of this task. Fortunately, all modern intervention, which partially changed the lovely outline of our port has left these works art in tact, or almost. On the East side, the male charm of fort Michelangelo is still reflected in the calm sea waters, a short distance away the superb arches of the Bernini dockyard appear as a monument to ancient Rome.The side of the port that is near the city is closed off by a beautiful battlement f Urbano VIII (completely built in brickwork), the monotony of which is interrupted in the central part by a marvelous fountain by Vanvitelli. Towards the west side, after the monumental Livorno gates, there is an outline of the mighty walls of ancient Rocca with its ancient quadrangular tower, which appears to have been built around time of Calisto III.Past the mouth which leads to the old wet docks (in the depths of which there probably still lies the colossal bronze statue of Neptune, whose arm was recuperated during the last century) the bastions which Antonio da San Gallo built during the first half of the XVI century face the sea.Unfortunately, all that remains of the beautiful work that originally encompassed the entire city is that small part which in fact surrounds the old wet docks.Only one of the 4 towers that were present during Roman times still survive, more precisely the one called "the glass" which is located at the end of the pier with the same name.There is another similar tower on the opposite pier, called Lazzareto, but itis not ancient even if built in exactly the same place as the first.The other two Roman towers were located at the ramparts, in front of those mentioned. In their place there now rises the Gregorian Fort built by Gregorio XVI during the first half of last century, and the Beacon built in 1616 under the pontifical reign of Paul V: fitted with modern optical devices, today, even after three centuries, it still serves the scope for which it was built.Through a small portico, which represents one of the best conserved parts of the ancient Rocca, formed by a wall of large travertine blocks, one reaches the old dockyard. From the square it is possible to admire the beautiful "Porta Marina" decorated with flat pillars in travertine rock, surmounted by Ionic capitals, with two granite columns. The waters of the wet dock existed since the Roman era, as evidenced by the numerous antique objects found in time. Recently as well, fragments were found that belong to columns and Doric capitals built in travertine, which are part of the ancient port which most probably ran along the entire length of the pier.One part of the wall of the wet dock, formed by stone squares, dates back to the Imperial era. Those beautiful bronze lion heads, of classical design, which sustain mooring rings with their fangs, were added by the Popes of the XVI century as an ornamental feature.