Column of Marcus Aurelius, Victory column in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy
The Column of Marcus Aurelius is a marble victory monument standing in Piazza Colonna in the historic center of Rome. The structure rises about 30 meters high (roughly 100 feet) and features continuous spiral reliefs carved with military campaigns across more than 100 scenes.
The column was erected by Commodus, son of Marcus Aurelius, between 180 and 193 CE, after his father's death in 180, to commemorate victories over the Marcomanni, Sarmatians and Quadi. In 1589 Pope Sixtus V had it restored by Domenico Fontana, who destroyed the reliefs on the base and replaced them with an inscription wrongly dedicating the column to Antoninus Pius. Earthquakes in 847 and 849 CE twisted the shaft, as some displaced drums still show.
The relief bands show scenes of soldiers crossing the Danube River and fighting northern tribes. Visitors can also spot the depiction of a rain that saved the Roman army from thirst and was interpreted as divine intervention.
Access to the interior spiral staircase with 203 steps is generally not available to the public, but the reliefs can be viewed closely from outside. The best time to visit is early morning or late afternoon, when daylight brings out the details in the carved scenes.
Domenico Fontana replaced the original bronze figure of the emperor with a statue of Saint Paul in 1589, which still stands on top today. The head of Marcus Aurelius was discovered under a nearby church in the 16th century and later moved to a museum.
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