In a city where every square inch is replete with layers upon layers of history, it is often easy to overlook a bunch of hidden places. To an outside observer, the stone-framed door at Piazza Vittorio in downtown Rome might seem at first like an unassuming piece of archaeology. As it turns out, though, the oddly-named Porta Alchemica is associated with several 17th century fables, making it a mysterious curiosity.
By: Omri Westmark
Date: 08:10 16.04.23
Last Update: 08:12 16.04.23
Unpretentiously located in a well-hidden corner of Piazza Vittorio’s verdant gardens, the mysterious door which goes by various names is an old vestige of Villa Palombara, the sumptuous residence of Massimiliano Palombara, a nobleman who served as the marquis of Pietraforte. Best-known as Porta Alchemica (Alchemical Door) or Porta Magica (Magic Portal), the blocked door was built somewhere around 1680 by Palombara himself.
The only extant gate out of five that were formerly a part of the mansion, Porta Alchemica has far more than meets the eye. In fact, over the years, a couple of tales emerged, trying to shed a light over its origins. According to the most prevalent legend, Palombara along with the exiled queen of Sweden, Christina, were ardent members of a group known as the Alchemists of Palazzo Riario.
As an aficionado of alchemy and esotericism, the marquis used to take in guests with whom he shared his enthusiasm of sorcery. One night, a pilgrim purportedly recognized as Giuseppe Francesco Borri, an illustrious alchemist of that time, bragged that he could create gold using a certain type of herb.
Eager to prove he was right, Borri went on overnight picking spree at the villa’s adjacent garden. In the following morning, the guest was seen departing through one of the portals, leaving behind him a trail of specks of gold as well as a paper where all of his secret formulas were supposedly expounded. As Palombara failed to fathom the content of the sheet, he opted to inscribe the formulas on the villa’s five gates, hoping that a savvy passerby would come across and reveal its meaning.
Fast forward to the 21st century, a sole surviving door, Porta Alchemica, sits in a middle of a verdant lawn, obscured by time. Guarded by a pair of sculpted Egyptian deities, the gate’s marble frame is glutted with an intriguing hodgepodge of engravings, including Hebrew and Latin inscriptions, a series of sigils and a hexagram, a Jewish symbol known as the Star of David. Whether the door holds the recipe for an herb-induced gold is up for you to decide, one thing is clear, though, the magic portal offers a fascinating glimpse into one of Rome’s lesser-known facets.
photography by: Sailko/ Wikimedia Commons
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
photography by: Omri Westmark
