Walking around Rome, you can admire the columns and ancient Egyptian obelisks in its various corners. Most of the columns erected in the glory of a particular emperor. Picturesque stone pillars testify to the triumph of the commanders and rulers of ancient Rome. The most famous monuments glorified in the centuries of Marcus Aurelius, Trajan and other worthy.
Appearance story
The appearance of commemorative columns is closely connected with such a concept as Triumph (lat. Triumphus), that is, "triumph".
The bright appearance of a lucky winner in Rome was a prestigious prize. The commander received the right to enter the capital in a gilded chariot, surrounded by a jubilant crowd. In addition to momentary honors, the name of the winner was immortalized for posterity - commemorative obelisks, arches and columns were erected. Only noble men who had a high position in the empire could claim the title of triumph.
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What did the columns look like?
The column of the ancient victorious had a certain typical pattern: a cylinder carved out of stone, erected on a pedestal, which on top was crowned with a statue of the commander. Most often, the column was covered with carvings, which depicted a large-scale historical battle, the exploits of the winner and his army. Sometimes the column was made up of several parts and was hollow inside. Inside such monuments a staircase was placed, along which it was possible to reach the upper platform of the monument.
Column Traiana
It is believed that the tradition of installing triumphal columns in ancient Rome began precisely at the time of Emperor Trajan (lat. Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus). The Roman ruler conducted a protracted military campaign against the Dacian tribes (lat. Daci). It was possible not only to crush the battle-skilled military leaders, but also to annex the Dacian territories as the new province of the Roman Empire.
In 113 A.D. by order of Trajan, the artist and architect Appolodor of Damascus (Latin Apollodorus Damascenus) took up work on a stone column. The memorial obelisk was made of Carrara marble weighing about 40 tons. The total height of the memorial is 38 m, it is composed of 20 parts, hollow inside. The surface of the column is decorated with battle paintings illustrating the war of the Dacians and the Romans.
In 113 A.D. the top of the column was decorated with a victorious eagle, which was soon replaced by a statue of the emperor. At the end of the 16th century, Pope Sixtus V (lat. Sixtus V) ordered that the memorial be decorated with a statue of the Apostle Peter.
Modern scholars note the high historical value of the reliefs applied to the column. Thanks to the painstaking work done, you can get a good idea about uniforms, weapons and methods of warfare in ancient times. A simple visitor can simply admire the masterfully done work. Also on the monument there is an inscription testifying to the fact that the Senate and the Roman people honored in a worthy manner the achievements of Emperor Trajan.
- Address: Forum Traiani (lat. Forum Traiani), Via dei Fori Imperiali
- Site:www.stoa.org
Column of Anthony Pio (Colonna di Antonino Pio)
Anthony's column was once installed on the Field of Mars (lat. Campus Martius). It was built in 161 AD successors of Emperor Anthony Pius. The deceased ruler and his wife were honored. Initially, a column of red granite was placed on a powerful pedestal, decorated with carvings, and crowned with a statue of Anthony Pius.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the column was in an abandoned state for a long time. The base of the memorial went underground; part of the 15-meter trunk of the column was irretrievably lost. In the 17th century, the column was removed from under the earth layer due to the efforts of Carlo Fontana. The pedestal was well preserved, it was restored and preserved for posterity. But the surviving part of the granite column was later used to clad the obelisk in Piazza Montecitorio (Palazzo Montecitorio).
These days, you can admire the Anthony Pius Memorial while visiting the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani). Only the surviving pedestal pedestal is displayed, on which the emperor ascends to heaven. Among other reliefs, allegorical images of Rome and the Field of Mars stand out.
- Official site: mv.vatican.va
- Recommended tour of the Vatican Museums
Column of Marcus Aurelius (Colonna di Marco Aurelio)
The column of Marcus Aurelius was built in 193 AD in honor of the emperor Marcus Aurelius (lat. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus). The years of the reign of Marcus Aurelius were overshadowed by the threat posed by Germanic and Sarmatian tribes. The period from 166 to 180 years. AD remained in history as the Marcoman war. The emperor and his successor son Commodus (Latin: Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus) were able to conquer the warlike tribes, and restore order at the eastern borders of the Empire.
Marcus Aurelius could not enjoy the triumph in his honor, since he died in 180 AD The memorial, modeled on the columns of Trajan, had a 10-meter base and a 30-meter main body. The column was composed of 28 parts of Carrara marble, decorated with a detailed image of the battles between the Romans, Germans and Sarmatians. The column was crowned by a statue of Marcus Aurelius, which in the 16th century was replaced by a statue of the Apostle Paul.
There is a column of Marcus Aurelius in Piazza Colonnaso named after her. Some time after the restoration in the 16-17th centuries, the column was erroneously attributed to Anthony Pius.
Colonna di Foca
Column Foki - this is the final point in the construction of the Roman Forum (lat. Forum Romanum). In 608 A.D. a white marble column 13.6 m high, was installed nearby Rostra (oratorical tribune) and is dedicated to Phoke (Greek Φωκᾶς), the Byzantine emperor.
At a time when Christianity was not divided into Orthodoxy and Catholicism, the friendship between Byzantium and Rome was quite strong. It is believed that at the top of the column stood a gilded statue of Foki, commissioned by the pontiff Bonifatius IV (Bonifatius IV). It is noteworthy that after the overthrow of Emperor Foki, all references to his greatness were destroyed, including the column installed at the Forum.
- Address: Via dei Fori Imperiali
- ЗD walk on the forum: www.italyrome.info
Column of the Immaculate (Colonna dell'Immacolata)
This monument is part of the attractions of the Spanish Square (Piazza di Spagna). At one end of the square was the Embassy of Spain, and in the opposite part of it in 1854 a column was erected dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Next to the memorial is the Palazzo di Propaganda Fide, conceived by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and built by Francesco Borromini.
The column was designed by Luigi Poletti, while the statue of the Immaculate Mary was created by the sculptor Giuseppe Obici. The customer of this monument was Ferdinand II (Ferdinando II), king of both Sicilies. Thus, the ruler wanted to bring Naples and the Roman pontificate closer.
Since December 1953, pontiffs annually lay a bouquet of flowers at the foot of the column as a sign of respect for the Immaculate Conception.
At the foot of a 12-meter marble column, 4 Biblical sages sit: Moses, Isaiah, King David, the seer Ezekiel.
- Address: Piazza di spagna
