Arlington National Cemetery

Washington, D.C., United States

Arlington National Cemetery is one of the most famous cemeteries in the world. The United States military cemetery was established during the Civil War on the grounds of Arlington House, which had been the estate of the family of Confederate general Robert E. Lee's wife Mary Anna Lee. On June 15, 1864, the Arlington House property and 200 acres of surrounding land were designated as a military cemetery as Quartermaster General Montgomery C. Meigs wanted to ensure that Lee could not return to the site.

Today the cemetery is the final resting place for more than 300,000 veterans died in every American conflict, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The first soldier to be buried in Arlington was Private William Henry Christman of Pennsylvania on May 13, 1864. The most famous people buried to Arlington are Presidents William Howard Taft and John F. Kennedy. Also Kennedy's two brothers, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Senator Edward 'Ted' Kennedy, and General of the Armies John J. Pershing are buried there.

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Address

Grant Drive, Washington, D.C., United States
See all sites in Washington, D.C.

Details

Founded: 1864
Category: Cemeteries, mausoleums and burial places in United States

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.nps.gov
washington.org

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


National World War II Memorial (2,7 km)
White House (3,5 km)
Lincoln Memorial (2 km)
Washington Monument (3,2 km)
Smithsonian Institution Building (3,9 km)
United States Capitol (5,3 km)
Smithsonian American Art Museum (4,5 km)
National Gallery of Art (4,5 km)
National Theatre (3,9 km)


Mount Vernon (19 km)
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception (8,5 km)

User Reviews

Kevin P (2 months ago)
Amazing and humbling to walk these grounds. I was alone and just took an hour or so to walk around and take it all in. It was winter time so not many people around, and it was an inspiring thing to experience. There's definitely a somber but powerful feeling here as you see the price we pay for our freedoms.
Fred Newman (3 months ago)
I have visited the cemetery twice, once as a visit with my wife. The second was with the Honor Flight Tri State. In fact during the second visit, I suffered a stroke at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Fortunately, my recovery was complete because of excellent treatment at the Virginia Hospital. I loved everything about the Cemetery -from the grounds keeping to the appearance, conduct and dedication of the guards. I hope to visit again someday.
Jake Wolfe (3 months ago)
The cost of freedom... take it in. The grounds are beautiful, the sheer size and numbers of men and women, and their children, so impressive. The monuments very understated, far more so than the vibrant lives sacrificed to keep home and liberty safe.
Erik Mannery (3 months ago)
Beautiful grounds and lots of cool statues and memorials celebrating our history. I love the dedication to the military and the ceremonies throughout the day are not to be missed.
T L C (4 months ago)
Very special place. An honorable place for heroic veterans to rest in peace. The funeral service was very special too. The staff was helpful in locating my father's grave when I went there to visit him. He served in both Gulf Wars.
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Porta Nigra

The Porta Nigra (Latin for black gate) is the largest Roman city gate north of the Alps. It is designated as part of the Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier UNESCO World Heritage Site. The name Porta Nigra originated in the Middle Ages due to the darkened colour of its stone; the original Roman name has not been preserved. Locals commonly refer to the Porta Nigra simply as Porta.

The Porta Nigra was built in grey sandstone between 186 and 200 AD. The original gate consisted of two four-storied towers, projecting as near semicircles on the outer side. A narrow courtyard separated the two gate openings on either side. For unknown reasons, however, the construction of the gate remained unfinished. For example, the stones at the northern (outer) side of the gate were never abraded, and the protruding stones would have made it impossible to install movable gates. Nonetheless, the gate was used for several centuries until the end of the Roman era in Trier.

In Roman times, the Porta Nigra was part of a system of four city gates, one of which stood at each side of the roughly rectangular Roman city. The Porta Nigra guarded the northern entry to the Roman city, while the Porta Alba (White Gate) was built in the east, the Porta Media (Middle Gate) in the south, and the Porta Inclyta (Famous Gate) in the west, next to the Roman bridge across the Moselle. The gates stood at the ends of the two main streets of the Roman Trier, one of which led north-south and the other east-west. Of these gates, only the Porta Nigra still exists today.

In the early Middle Ages the Roman city gates were no longer used for their original function and their stones were taken and reused for other buildings. Also iron and lead braces were broken out of the walls of the Porta Nigra for reuse. Traces of this destruction are still clearly visible on the north side of the gate.

After 1028, the Greek monk Simeon lived as a hermit in the ruins of the Porta Nigra. After his death (1035) and sanctification, the Simeonstift monastery was built next to the Porta Nigra to honor him. Saving it from further destruction, the Porta Nigra was transformed into a church: The inner court of the gate was roofed and intermediate ceilings were inserted. The two middle storeys of the former gate were converted into church naves: the upper storey being for the monks and the lower storey for the general public. The ground floor with the large gates was sealed, and a large outside staircase was constructed alongside the south side (the town side) of the gate, up to the lower storey of the church. A small staircase led further up to the upper storey. The church rooms were accessible through former windows of the western tower of the Porta Nigra that were enlarged to become entrance doors (still visible today). The top floor of the western tower was used as church tower, the eastern tower was leveled, and an apse added at its east side. An additional gate - the much smaller Simeon Gate - was built adjacent to the East side of the Porta Nigra and served as a city gate in medieval times.

In 1802 Napoleon Bonaparte dissolved the church in the Porta Nigra and the monastery beside it, along with the vast majority of Trier"s numerous churches and monasteries. On his visit to Trier in 1804, Napoleon ordered that the Porta Nigra be converted back to its Roman form. Only the apse was kept; but the eastern tower was not rebuilt to its original height. Local legend has it that Napoleon originally wanted to completely tear down the church, but locals convinced him that the church had actually been a Gaulish festival hall before being turned into a church. Another version of the story is that they told him about its Roman origins, persuading him to convert the gate back to its original form.

In 1986 the Porta Nigra was designated a World Heritage Site, along with other Roman monuments in Trier and its surroundings. The modern appearance of the Porta Nigra goes back almost unchanged to the reconstruction ordered by Napoleon. At the south side of the Porta Nigra, remains of Roman columns line the last 100 m of the street leading to the gate. Positioned where they had stood in Roman times, they give a slight impression of the aspect of the original Roman street that was lined with colonnades. The Porta Nigra, including the upper floors, is open to visitors.

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