Guide To Italy: The Arch Of Constantine
July 12, 2009 by Luigi Effronicio
Filed under Destinations
The Arco di Constantino, or Arch of Constantine, was famously build by Emperor Constantine to commemorate a victory at the Battle of Milvian Bridge, fought in 315 CE. This is the most recent of the Roman triumphal arches still standing, and it has a few unique characteristics you won’t see anywhere else.
This arch is impressively sized at over twenty meters high, twenty-five meters wide, and seven meters deep, with three distinctive arches built into it. The center one is more than eleven meters high and six meters high, and is the largest, with smaller arches on either side.
The arch’s design is very similar to that of the Arch of Septimus Severus, which is located on the Roman Forum. Both arches have a main section sporting detached columns and an upper portion, which is referred to as an attic and which sports an inscription.
A visit to the Arch of Constantine is an easy thing to do while in Rome, since the arch itself spans the Via Triumphalis – the road used by victorious emperors on their way back to Rome. Constantine’s choice of this area to locate his arch tells us a lot about the message he wanted to send to rivals.
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 light when you view the arch, you may notice a few things about it. First, not all parts of it seem to be made from the same stone, and some are even a slightly different color.
That’s because other monuments were used in the construction of the Arch of Constantine, including pieces used almost in their entirety of the lower part of the arch. The finished piece was made up of other architecture.
The lower part is made from marble blocks, but the attic is made of bricks, covered in marble. There’s a staircase in the thickness of the arch, but it’s some distance from the ground, suggesting that the original monument may have been situated differently.
Some have theorized that this borrowing from other monuments was done to speed up construction. Others have said that it was done because the builders lacked the skill to build the entire arch on its own. It’s hard to say exactly why the arch is made of “recycled architecture”, but it’s one more interesting detail for visitors to see.
The arch itself was incorporated into a Medieval family stronghold, becoming part of another structure. It wasn’t until the eighteenth century that excavation and restoration started, and it was kept up until the late 1990s.
If you’re on a trip to Rome, you’ll probably take the time to see the ancient monuments of this fascinating city. Don’t forget to take a little time out to see the Arch of Constantine while you’re there.
