Attraction 21 / 50
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Via di San Gregorio near Piazza del Colosseo
Subway
Colosseo (B)
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Right next to the Colosseum
stands the Arch of Constantine, the most recent of the
three remaining imperial arches in Rome (the other ones
are the nearby
Arch of Titus and Arch
of Septimius Severus). The 21 meter high arch is
well preserved and richly decorated.
Arch of Constantine
After years of civil war, the victory of Constantine's army over the numerically
superior army of Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD brought
some peace to the Roman empire.
To commemorate this victory, the Senate of Rome awarded Constantine a Triumphal arch. It was dedicated just a few years later, in 315 AD.
To commemorate this victory, the Senate of Rome awarded Constantine a Triumphal arch. It was dedicated just a few years later, in 315 AD.
The Arch
The large arch with 3 archways is almost 26m (85ft) wide and 21m (69ft) high.
During construction, many parts from older structures were reused, which was
common practice at the time.
The statues at the top were
taken
from the Forum of Trajan. They depict Dacian captured soldiers, defeated by
the Trajan army.
The reliefs between the statues were created for Marcus Aurelius while the roundrels (and possibly even the arch itself) are from emperor Hadrian's time. Some figures in the roundrels were modified to resemble Constantine. The decorations at the central and lower part were created specifically for this triumphal arch.
The statues at the top were

The reliefs between the statues were created for Marcus Aurelius while the roundrels (and possibly even the arch itself) are from emperor Hadrian's time. Some figures in the roundrels were modified to resemble Constantine. The decorations at the central and lower part were created specifically for this triumphal arch.
Emperor Constantine
During Constantine's reign, persecution of Christians ended and Christianity
became the official religion in the Roman empire. He also moved the capital
of the empire from Rome to Constantinople in 325 AD (before known as Byzantium,
now Istanbul).
511
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