The three bay design with detached columns was first used for the Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum (which stands at the end of the triumph route) and repeated in several other arches now lost. The arch is constructed of brick-faced concrete covered in marble. It has three bays, the central one being 11.5 m (38 ft) high and 6.5 m (21 ft) wide and the laterals 7.4 m (24 ft) by 3.4 m (11 ft) each. Dedicated in 315, it is the largest Roman triumphal arch, with overall dimensions of 21 m (69 ft) high, 25.9 m (85 ft) wide and 7.4 m (24 ft) deep. Situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill, the arch spans the Via Triumphalis, the route taken by victorious military leaders when they entered the city in a triumphal procession. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312. The Arch of Constantine ( Italian: Arco di Costantino) is a triumphal arch in Rome dedicated to the emperor Constantine the Great. Constantine’s reign marked the rise of Christianity and Christian values over paganism in Rome. As such, it was designed to be visible from far away and to awe the beholders. The Colossus of Constantine was a symbol of his power and victory. The statue’s right hand could have possibly held a staff with a Christian symbol, such as the Chi-Rho, which stands for the first two letters of the word Christ in Greek (ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ). Constantine’s other body parts, such as the arms and feet, were sculpted in a naturalistic style and crafted with maximum detail. His eyes were looking upwards, and his face was youthful and beardless. Constantine’s statue might have been wearing a diadem or some other form of imperial headgear, as suggested by the dowel holes on his temples. The exposed flesh of the body was portrayed in white marble, while the mantle was likely made with bronze. The statue was bare-chested and was probably placed on a pedestal. The Colossus of Constantine was originally a seated figure of an emperor, as indicated by the position of the left foot with the heel raised. Today, the remnants of the Colossus can be viewed at the Capitoline Museums in Rome. In 1951, the left breast and right arm of the Colossus were discovered. Some surviving remnants were moved from the Basilica to the nearby Palazzo dei Conservatori Courtyard by well-known Italian painter, sculptor, and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). Only fragments of the marble portion have survived to our present day, including the head and the neck, an arm, a knee, a right hand, and a left foot. Because the Colossus had body portions made of bronze, it was a tempting target for thieves. However, the entire Colossus has not survived to our present day. The giant statue, which came to be known as the Colossus of Constantine, had an inscription that read, “I rescued your city and freed it from the tyrant’s yoke.” He also erected a giant statue of himself in the west apse, which publicly and visibly declared his overthrow of Maxentius. Constantine reoriented the building, changed the site of the principal entrance, and added a new northern apse. BackgroundĪfter Constantine defeated Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312, he decided to complete the construction of the Basilica of Maxentius but with some changes. The statue was a massive, towering acrolithic and was presumably erected sometime between 312 and 330. It was made of marble and bronze and measured approximately 12 meters (40 feet) in height. The Colossus of Constantine was a giant statue of the Roman Emperor Constantine I (also known as Constantine the Great), originally erected in the western apse of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine (or the “Basilica Nova” as it was later called).
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