The Gate of the People, whose name probably dates back to the XI century and the construction of the nearby Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, was originally called Porta Flaminia. Still today, in fact, it is from here that starts the famous consular Via Flaminia, which connects Rome to Rimini (even if there is to specify how, in ancient times, probably the Via Flaminia started from the Piazza Venezia, a couple of kilometres to the south). Apart from this, however, try to imagine what this input could mean, in the course of the centuries, for the millions and millions of people (merchants, bankers, popes, kings, and emperors, travellers, writers, beggers, artists) who have crossed this gate: this was a threshold, a border between what is left behind and Rome, the Eternal City, where a thousand opportunities could prove to be.

A clear symbol, in short, that was restored in the course of time. The north side, that one seen on the main photo was completely renewed by pope Pius IV. Even the pope, as he did for Porta Pia, commissioned the work to Michelangelo who, however, preferred to delegate the work to Nanni di Baccio Bigio, another important architect of that time. The original corner towers, circular in shape, were replaced by other guard towers, this time square. Four columns are embellishing the façade, flanking the three arches that come from the ancient St Peter's Basilica before the reconstruction initiated by pope Julius II in 1506. Complete this side the dedicatory and commemorative inscriptions about the restoration would by Pius IV and also the two statues representing St. Peter and St. Paul, carved by Francesco Mochi at the XVII century.

But very curious is the history of the two sculptures because both were originally rejected by the purchasers and they were shipped back to the Mochi, without any payment! The sculptor, especially with St. Peter, gave to the sculpted characters an herald attitude, almost aggressive. And perhaps this was not appreciated very much. Returning to the Gate of the People we now go to the other side, the facade facing directly the square.

In this case the makeover is the work of Bernini, to the direct desire of the pontiff Alexander VII Chigi, a pope who commissioned to the master of the Baroque age  even his funeral monument. For this on the summit stands the symbol of the pope, the classic mount of six peaks, topped by the eight-pointed star. In this case, however, the pope decided to restore the port in anticipation of the arrival of an illustrious guest in Rome: Queen Christina of Sweden. Why did the pope akes to Bernini, the best for that time, to restore an entire gate? Because the queen was not an ordinary queen... Christina of Sweden is, as it was four centuries ago, a sort of political victory and the religious. Cristina was, in fact, the King of Sweden's daughter. And this king was one of the main character during the Thirty Years War, which smashed Europe four centuries ago. It was a sort of religious war, fought between the christian armies and the protestant one, with the latter that was led by our swedish king. But although he was protestant his daughter chose the path of the Christianity. Imagine how the pope would be happy to have in his Rome, the queen, who had repudiated the hated protestant faith to embrace the christian one.

So we can think that for her arrival everything must be perfect...but there is a detail that perhaps makes us understand something about the true relations between the papacy and the queen. The inscription of the Porta Flaminia on this side is very thin and synthetic. There are no praises to the Queen, no freebies or frills of literature. Also, curious fact given that the Queen christine of Sweden was from the North, it is at least curious that the inscription, although poor, had not been inserted on the other side, the one that the Queen would have immediately seen. Maybe the pope hated, in one way or another, the Cristina's attitude and character that could be a little bit bulky. Who knows. What is important is how today we can appreciate the beauty of Porta del Popolo (that is Gate of the People in italian) and the entrance that for centuries made the dream of generations and generations...