Sep
23
2009
Must See In Rome: The Arch Of Constantine
Author: Guest AuthorRome’s Archo di Constantino, also called the Arch of Constantine in English, was built to commemorate the victory of Emperor Constantine over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Built in 315 CE, this is the most recent still extant truimphal arch in the city.
The arch is an impressive twenty one meters high, twenty-five and a half meters wide and nearly seven and a half meters deep, sporting three distinctive archways. The center one is eleven and a half meters wide and six and a half meters wide, and is the largest of the set, flanked by smaller arches.
The design is similar to the Arch of Septimus Severus, located on the Roman Forum. Both include a main section with detached columns, and an attic, or upper portion (not the top part of the house, as we use the term today). The attic sports a main inscription.
A visit to the famous arch is simple to do in Rome. Located across the ancient Road of Triumph, or Via Triumphalis - the road used by victorious emperors returning to the city - this arch says a lot about what Constantine wanted his rivals to think.
The arch is near to the Colossum, and can be easily visited by taking the Metro. It’s easy to add the Arch of Constantine into a tour of the ancient ruins of Rome, too, since there are many in this part of the city.
Depending on the angle and lighting you’re viewing the arch from, you may notice that some parts are a different color, and that it looks like it’s made out of different kinds of stone.
This is because the Arch of Constantine wasn’t built from scratch - it was made from other monuments in Rome. Borrowed pieces are especially evident in the lower portion of the arch.
The lower portion of the arch is solid marble blocks, with a staircase located high up in the thickness of the arch and hard to access from the ground. The attic is brick with a marble facing.
Some people have said that this kind of borrowing was done in order to make construction go faster or to make up for the lack of skill of builders. It’s hard to say exactly why the arch was made this way, but it provides another interesting historical detail.
The arch itself ended up as part of another building in the Middle Ages, when it became part of a family stronghold. It wasn’t until the eighteenth century that people began to excavate and restore it, with the last restoration happening in the late 1990s.
Your trip to Rome will probably include a number of ancient structures, so don’t forget to include the Arch of Constantine. While you’re near the Colossum, take a few moments to appreciate this interesting piece of Rome’s history.