History and Construction
In the mid-4th century, a reconstruction of the existing city wall, which dated back to the 3rd century, took place. This was significantly shortened, leaving the Roman theater and the abandoned legion camp, along with other important areas of the city, outside its bounds. Old demolition material (spolia) from the camp buildings was reused for the reconstruction. Furthermore, the road that was paved with sandstone and led to the former porta praetoria continued to be used. To ensure the use of this important road remained possible, a break in the city wall was created through a city gate. The road surface, composed of diagonally laid red sandstone slabs, has been preserved at this location.
Location and Present Appearance
The Roman Gate is located in Mainz-Oberstadt on the Kästrich at the house Kästrich 61. During excavations in 1985, the city gate and remnants of the former camp road, as well as adjacent wall remains, were uncovered. Grooves of nearly 2 meters wide can be seen in the sandstone slabs of the via praetoria. These correspond to the wheel widths of Roman vehicles and further indicate that this via praetoria was frequently used. The city gate was found during the construction of the residential complex on the Kästrich. It was integrated into the residential complex and is freely accessible to visitors. The remains of the double-walled structure and the city gate were uncovered about 3 meters below the current road level, so two stairways were constructed to allow access to the city gate.
The building document is preserved at the base level and is still regarded as the only Roman city gate that has been found in Mainz. Furthermore, it is one of the latest Roman city gates in Germany.
Nearby the Roman Gate is the medieval antiquity, which also stands on (suspected) Roman foundations. It marks the location of one of the numerous towers of the Roman city wall.
