Those who are going to go to Rome will definitely be not bored. There is something to see, because the main feature of the Italian capital, tourists call an incredible number of attractions. List the most interesting places in Rome - The task is far from easy.
general information
Here, literally at every corner, you can feel the breath of history, with which the lifestyle of modern residents and the wonderful aromas of local cuisine are organically intertwined. Rome is not only the capital of present-day Italy, but also the main city of an ancient and very powerful empire. The centuries-old stages of history have left an indelible mark on this earth in the form of a huge number of monuments. It is they who attract millions of tourists here. One of the most beautiful and majestic sights of the city is the column of Trajan in Rome. It is located on the eponymous square. Not only the decoration of the Italian capital, but also the chronicle of all the most important military events taking place in the Roman Empire, is the column of Trajan in Rome. A photo, a description of this wonderful historical monument, interesting facts related to it - all this is presented in this article.
Forum of Trajan
After the death of this Roman ruler, an interesting tradition developed. The Roman senators in greeting each successive emperor wished that "to be better than Trajan." This ruler was born in Spain. He is considered the greatest builder of Rome. It was he who built the cultural center of the city in the hope of strengthening his own popularity and becoming a true resident of the capital of the empire.
By that time, Rome already counted five similar squares, but not one was able to compete with the "brainchild" of Trajan. In size, he exceeded all of them combined. The architect of the Forum was a Greek from the province of Apollodorus. The rich booty that Rome received as a result of a campaign in Dacia allowed him to save on nothing. Apollodorus created the Forum as an “advertisement” to his emperor. The area was about two hundred meters long. It was decorated with statues and elegant galleries. There were also a market, courts and libraries. But the most important part of the Forum was the majestic column of Trajan.
Photo Description
An amazing building dominated the entire complex of the square. The column of Trajan was decorated with amazingly expressive bas-reliefs that narrated about the military victories of the Roman emperor, in particular about the campaigns of his army during the crossing of the Danube, the seizure of the territory of present-day Romania, etc. Today it also stands proudly above the ruins of the Forum, and its foundations you can see the tomb of Ulpius Trajan himself and his wife.
To build this amazing monument, twenty huge blocks of the famous Carrara marble were brought to Rome.
Column Trajan has a very impressive size: thirty-eight meters in height and weighs forty tons. Inside it is hollow. Only a spiral staircase is arranged in it, which leads to a site built on capitals.
An amazing monument of ancient civilization
I must say that the monument on the column has changed several times. First, an eagle rose on the capitals, then a sculpture of Trajan himself, and only in the sixteenth century did the apostle Peter, standing at his full height, appear here. It is his image that adorns the column today. On the relief tape that runs along the entire trunk of the structure, you can see fragments from the two battles of the emperor and the Dacians. In total, it depicts two and a half thousand human figures, among which Trayan himself is repeatedly repeated. In addition to them, on the relief you can see Nick - the goddess of victory, as well as the Danube - the majestic old man - and other allegorical characters.
History of creation
Column of Trajan was built in honor of the Roman emperor, who made a dizzying career. He began as a simple legionnaire and reached the ruler of one of the most powerful states. Thanks to this talented commander and reformer, the territory of the Roman Empire was able to significantly increase. And the state itself has significantly strengthened its influence.
In addition to an active foreign policy and the construction of fortresses, this Roman emperor built bridges, aqueducts and other civil constructions. The last ancient Roman forum was built in his honor. Unlike the previous five, it was an extensive exposition of victories and weapons of the emperor.
Construction Features
Visually, the triumphal column of Trajan is divided into three parts. Firstly, on the base - the pedestal, then on the directly central part and on the upper protruding beyond its limits - the capital. The diameter of the column is about four meters.
The monument is made of the most valuable varieties of Carrara marble. Twenty blocks were used for its construction, which are installed in such a way that a cavity forms in the inner space. It contains a spiral staircase of one hundred and eighty-five steps leading to a site arranged on capitals. Sunlight penetrates into the column through small windows, more reminiscent of loopholes.
The outer part of the structure is covered with a relief ribbon, which rises in a spiral to its top. The images made on it tell about the episodes of the military campaign of Emperor Trajan. The bas-relief twenty-three times goes around the barrel part of the column. Its total length is one hundred and ninety meters.
At the base is the hall. Here are urns with the ashes of Emperor Trajan and his wife Pompeii Plotina. And on the pedestal to this day, an inscription has been preserved, which scientists consider a model of the Roman font.
Images
The Column of Trajan in Rome, the photo of which every tourist takes with him, is of particular historical value. Her bas-reliefs so figuratively and capaciously convey episodes of the war of the Romans against the Dacians that they simply amaze with the skill of execution.
The column presents the events of two campaigns of Trajan. On the tape, they are visually separated from each other by the winged goddess of Victory, who writes the name of the triumphant on the shield. Numerous military trophies of the victorious emperor were crowded around.
On a relief tape about two and a half thousand human figures. These are soldiers of the Roman army, performing certain actions: building fortifications, river crossings, fighting, etc. Emperor Trajan himself is captured fifty-nine times on a tape: at the head of a detachment, on a certain elevation.
The work of the ancient masters
The figures of the soldiers, the details of their weapons and uniforms, as well as the fortifications on the column, are drawn quite realistically and clearly. There is no perspective on the relief image: both near and far objects are displayed with the same dimensions. In addition, a second relief plan is made at the top of the tape. Thanks to this approach, the tape is very informative.
Such accuracy of all the scenes presented makes it possible not only to better imagine, but also to study the weapons, armor and clothing of the Romans and even the Dacians of that era.
In addition to the figures of the soldiers, on the relief you can see some allegorical drawings characteristic of the art of the Roman Empire of those times. For example, by the figure of an old man one must mean the Danube, and the woman with the face covered with a veil is Night.
At the time of creation, all the relief figures were executed in color. However, over time, their paint faded, and today these images have received the same light tone, which, however, does not detract from their historical or artistic value.
Secrets of Ancient Civilization
Erected in the distant 113 year, this fantastic column rises above Rome for almost two millennia. Over time, its reliefs were severely damaged, therefore, except for a few lower turns on a spiral, the rest are very difficult to see. There are real ruins around the column: empty pedestals and cracked slabs, broken sculptures and decapitated columns everywhere - all this only remotely resembles the Forum’s former splendor.
The column of Trajan is considered one of the main monuments of all those that survived the fall of the Roman Empire. From century to century, historians have been studying its reliefs as a visual aid on the history of wars, where Trajan himself is presented as a hero, and Decebalus, the ruler of the Dacians, is his worthy adversary. Archaeologists even looked at the smallest details from the scenes depicted in order to obtain information on military tactics of armament and uniforms of the Roman army. A lot of effort to study this unique monument was spent by V. A. Chudinov. Column of Trajan in Rome, in his opinion, is dedicated more likely to the famous Trojan war of the XIII century, and not to the emperor-winner. This is evidenced by many facts, including the rate of destruction of the bas-relief, according to which it can be assumed that the construction is only about five hundred years old. However, many experts do not agree with the opinion of the Russian scientist.
Where is the column of Trajan
The structure of the ancient Forum was thought out to the smallest detail. The entrance to the square, paved with multi-colored marble, was decorated with a huge triumphal arch. On three sides of it stood sculptures of the most famous figures of the Roman Empire, and on the fourth, the architect placed the basilica. It was a kind of political structure in which the decrees of the emperor were created. Between the Latin and Greek libraries Apollodorus located the famous column of Trajan. Today it can be seen next to Venice Square and the monument to Vittorio Emanuel. The Column of Trajan, whose photo is irrefutable evidence of the grandeur and monumentality of this building, is located directly opposite the church of Santa Maria di Loretto.
You can get to it by private car or taxi by driving to Via dei Fori Imperiali. Those who independently explore the sights of Rome can get off at the Colosseum metro station and walk on foot to this monument on foot. From the stop to her only half an hour at a slow pace.
Interesting Facts
In addition to replacing the sculptural images crowning the emperor’s column, this building has not undergone other more or less significant changes in its long history.
During the reign of Trajan there was a ban on the burial of people within the city. However, after the death of Trajan, an exception was made for him.
This monument is of great interest to modern Romanians. After all, Trajan completely destroyed Dacia, so the column today is a precious testimony of how their distant ancestors could dress and look.