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The Nola Gate is located in the south-east coerner
of Pompeii. They were built during the Samnite period. The Romans
only lowered the level of the road to make the entrance to Pompeii
somewhat easier. Thus the gates were somewhat raised.
Nola
Gate are not impressive either in size or the decoration,
although an important road started from here, leading to the city of
Nola. The city of Nola did not particularly stand out, but Via
Popilia passed through it, which connected Capua to the region of
Regia in the “toe” of the Italian boot. The same road led to Via
Appia, that in turn led to the capital
of the Roman Empire, ancient Rome.
The Nola Gate is located along the northern flank of the city
wall at the eastern end of Via di Nola. The gate is one of the
oldest gates of Pompeii, dating back to the Samnite era. The unusual
gate does not start on the outside line of the wall, but on the
inside of the wall, at the end of the passage, formed by powerful
masonry. The Nola Gates were originally double gates like the
Herculenium Gate, but when the outer part was destroyed by an
earthquake, the gates were rebuilt into a gate with one arch and a
central tower.
Beyond the gates of the Nola Gate is a
necropolis or "city of the dead" in the Greek - a cemetery. The
graves date from both the early Republican period and the last years
of Pompeii.
To the east of the road to the Nolsa Gate there are several graves consisting of three graves. One belonged to M. Obelius Firmius, one anonymous, and the third belonged to Aesquilia Polla, wife of N. Gerennius Cels.