Constructed in Rome, 1590, Porta Pia served as the gateway in and out of the city of Rome. As a commission by Pope Paul IV for civic improvement, it was natural that questions arose as to how something of this nature should be represented. Michelangelo seems to have decided on coded meanings and metaphors. He has created a piece using a variety of architectural tools. Certainly Mannerism is well represented here with:
-broken pediments and lintels
-festoons
-pedimented windows in brackets
-short pilasters
-rusticated piers with pilasters
Michelangelo was influenced by the theatrical genres of the time; he chose to portray this gate as more dramatic than functional.
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