Arch of Constantine

The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch with three archways, located in Rome, near the Colosseum. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate to commemorate the victory of Constantine the Great against Maxentius in the Battle of Ponte Milvo in 312.

SHORT HISTORY

It seems that the monument was originally built during the time of Hadrian, Roman emperor between 117 and 138, and subsequently remodeled in the Constantinian era, with the displacement of the columns, the remaking of the attic, the insertion of the Trajan frieze on the inner walls of the central archway, and the execution of the reliefs and decorations specific to the time of Constantine. The arch was inaugurated in 315, on the occasion of the decennial of Constantine’s reign.

In 1530, Lorenzino de’ Medici was expelled from Rome for cutting the heads of the sculptures on the arch, which were partially restored in the 18th century.

In 1960, during the Games of the XVII Olympiad, the Arch of Constantine was the spectacular finish line for the marathon event won barefoot by the Ethiopian Abebe Bikila.

ARCHITECTURE

The Arch of Constantine is 21 meters high, 25.9 meters wide and 7.4 meters deep. The central archway is 6.50 meters wide and 11.45 meters high.

The arch is built from marble blocks, while the attic is made of masonry and cement coated on the outside with marble blocks. White marble of different qualities has been used indifferently or reused from older monuments, and much of its architectural elements and sculptures were reused in the same way.

HOW TO GET THERE

The closest Metro station is Colosseo, located about 400 meters away, on the Metro Line B. The closest bus stop has the same name and can be found about 250 meters away of the monument, on the bus Lines 51, 75, 85, 87 and 118.