The triumphal arch of August in Aosta, or welcome to August Praetorium. Arch of Augustus, Rimini: location, history of creation, photos, reviews and tips from tourists The history of the creation of the triumphal arch in Rimini

Arch of Augustus (Arco d`Augusto) is the oldest Roman arch in northern Italy that has survived to this day. It was the crown of the road - Via Flaminia, connecting Rome with the cities of the Adriatic coast, the construction of which began in 220 BC. Gaius Flaminius and ended after his death in 187 BC. in Ariminum (Rimini).

Gaius Flaminius Nepota - was a censor, twice consul and prominent politician in the 3rd century BC. in the Roman Republic. He tried to resist the authority of the Senate and sought to carry out political reorganization in the conquered lands located in the territory of modern central and northern Italy.

In 220 BC. In the Republic, the grandiose construction of a road began, which was supposed to connect the center with the northern lands and pass through the territory located south of Ariminum. This path was subsequently named Via Flaminia, which originally connected Rome and Fano, a city in the central part of modern Italy, located on the Adriatic coast. Later, the road was extended along the coastline to Pesaro and further to the southern gate of Rimini, connecting to the city road network.

In 27 BC. e. by decision of the Roman Senate, in the place where the old and subsequently demolished Porto Romana stood, where the modern Via XX Settembre and Corso D' Augusto connect, an Arch was erected in honor of the Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, which is currently known as Arco d`Augusto .

Arco d`Augusto is built from Istrian stone, laid out in large squares. One large opening, about nine meters wide, covered with a semi-cylindrical vault. This element of architecture was borrowed from Etruscan masters during the birth of the Roman state and Roman architecture. The design ends with an entablature on which, according to the tradition that developed in ancient times, a bronze figure of Emperor Augustus, who controlled the quadriga, was installed. Currently, instead of the sculptural composition, you can see the “Gibbelin battlements” that appeared on the Arch in the Middle Ages during reconstruction after another earthquake.

The simplicity of the design of Arco d'Augusto is not devoid of solemnity, power, and grandeur, which Roman architects sought to emphasize with their works. Massive walls more than four meters thick, the facades of which face: one towards Rome, the other towards Rimini, are decorated on both sides with corrugated semicircular pilasters with Corinthian capitals. The keystone of the arch is decorated with the heads of bulls, which indicated that Rimini was a Roman colony. Next to the capitals there are four medallions with images of Roman gods: Jupiter and Apollo - on the facade facing Rome; Neptune and Roma - towards Rimini. Apollo helped Emperor Augustus win the battle against Antony and Cleopatra, so it is not surprising to see his image on this arch; Neptune - helped to win victories in sea voyages.

Arco d'Augusto was not only a monumental architectural monument in honor of Emperor Augustus, which for the first time was built not in Rome, but in the province, but also began to serve as the southern gate of Ariminum. But the height and width of the arch's vault at that time were so enormous that they did not allow it to be closed, and there was no need for it, since there was no danger of enemy invasion within the state. Emperor Augustus declared the so-called Augusti Pax, according to which the states that were part of the Roman Empire were prohibited from armed conflicts with each other, and the end of the Great Civil War was declared.

Arco d'Augusto later became part of a ring of defensive structures built from local stone in the 3rd century AD. Organically blending into the urban landscape, it fulfilled its functions as the Southern Gate until 1936.

During the Second World War, the fortress walls were destroyed and currently separate fragments of them can be seen near the arch, which is a monument created more than twenty centuries ago to a wise ruler who gave his country and people peace and prosperity, leading it through horrors internecine wars.

He gave his name to an entire era, remarkable for the flowering of sciences and arts. The deification of Augustus among the people led to the emergence of the cult of the emperor. By the Roman Senate in 8 BC. the eighth month of the year was named in honor of the “son of the divine Julius” - August.

Not far from the Praetorian Gate, outside the ancient city wall of Aosta, there is a historical monument from the Roman Empire, which dates back more than 2,000 years. The triumphal Arch of Augustus was erected in honor of Emperor Augustus, whose troops under the leadership of Aulus Terentius Varro Murenus in 25. BC. defeated the Salassi, completely exterminating the local Celto-Ligurian tribe.

Arc de Triomphe of Augustus: background to its appearance

In fact, without knowing about the events surrounding the appearance of the Arch of Augustus, it may seem that the structure is completely unworthy of attention. But let's figure it out...

Even before the Romans arrived in what is now the Valle d'Aosta region at the end of the 3rd century BC, the Salassi controlled the strategic passes across the Alps, known today as the Little and Great Saint Bernard. In addition, they mined gold on their land. With the strangers who dreamed of having full control of the mountain passages to Gaul, and at the same time taking control of the mines, the local residents initially did not develop friendship - they were not going to submit, and therefore conflicts and skirmishes arose from time to time. The Romans, in turn, were not happy with the fact that the Salassi turned out to be intractable, and besides, they constantly tried to block and divert the flows of the river, today called Dora Baltea, which affected the poor irrigation of the lands downstream. Local mountaineers simply forced people to buy water. Ultimately, all this provoked the intervention of the Roman army in 143. BC, which resulted in the first significant victory over the Salassi. But due to heavy losses on the part of the Romans, the Senate refused to recognize this triumph. Half a century later, the legionnaires managed to establish their outpost on the road leading to the Aosta Valley, after which the gradual colonization of the northern territories began.

But the brave Salassas did not give up. They continued to control the mountain paths, charging the Romans a fee for passage. This lasted until 35-33. BC, until the troops of Augustus, through sieges and blockades, forced the locals to submit. But they soon rebelled, which predicted their own people to be completely destroyed. By deceiving them about allegedly paying indemnities, the Romans managed to capture several thousand combat-ready Salassi, after which they sold them into slavery with the condition of release no earlier than twenty years later. Women and children suffered the same fate. The result was the final disappearance of the Alpine tribe, the founding of the settlement “Augusta Pretoria Salassi”, which later became the city of Aosta, and the construction of the Arch of Augustus, which is discussed in this article.

The fate of the winner of the Salassians - Aulus Terentius Varro Muren (about 66 BC - 22 BC) - was sad. Two years after the local population was destroyed, Aulus Terence was elected consul, but a year later he was accused of plotting against the stepson of Emperor Augustus, Tiberius, who later took the imperial throne. Despite all kinds of petitions, the winner of the Salassians was convicted and soon executed.

Description of the Arch of Augustus

The ancient Roman architectural monument, which is eloquent evidence of the victory of the Romans over the local tribe, is a monumental single-span arch with a height of 11.4 meters under the keystone. Its passage at its widest part is almost 9 meters. A separate structure has never been an opening in the city wall. The arch was intended for the ceremonial entry of significant personalities of the ancient Roman era into the territory of Augustus Praetorius Salassi, as modern Aosta was then called. In fact, it was the Arch of Augustus that determined the basic forms of triumphal arches erected during the era of the Roman Empire.

Of course, the architectural image of the Arch of Augustus in Aosta is not perfect. Her proportions are heavy and rough. The absence of a crowning attic (decorative wall) is explained by its demolition in 1716 due to deep cracks that appeared. Therefore, the structure seems a little “nailed” from above. The Arch of Augustus is decorated with ten semi-columns with bell-shaped capitals of the Corinthian style, characterized by the presence of foliate patterns. The frieze shows Doric elements and details. Initially, on the arched surfaces there were relief images with evidence of the victory over the Salassas.

The way the Arch of Augustus looks today is the result of restoration work carried out more than a hundred years ago - in 1912. A wooden crucifix under the archway first appeared in 1449. It was believed that it saved the city and its inhabitants from floods during the floods of the stormy Boutje River flowing down from the mountains. Currently, the crucifix has been replaced with a copy, but the original is not missing. It was moved to the Treasure Museum at the Aosta Cathedral (Cattedrale di Aosta). In the Middle Ages, at the site of the crucifixion there was another image of Christ, and the Arch was often called in the French manner Saint-Voût, which meant “Image of the Savior.”

There was an interesting fact in the history of the Arch of Augustus. In the 12th century it was the residence of one of the noble families of the city. In order to protect against enemy attacks, its representatives built a fortification in which crossbowmen were constantly on duty. When and under what circumstances the object was abandoned is not known for certain.

The Arch of Emperor Augustus, proudly rising at the intersection of two central streets, can be called one of the symbols of Rimini.

History of origin

The triumphal arch of Augustus was erected in 27 BC. uh. The appearance of this architectural structure marked the end of the grandiose construction of the road connecting the Adriatic and (considered one of the longest roads in Italy).

The beginning of road construction (220 BC) dates back to the reign of Emperor Gaius Flaminius.

The original project was to connect Rome with the city of Fano (central Adriatic coast). But subsequently it was decided to extend the road to, to its southern outskirts.

The arch was located right at the intersection of two most important roads - Via Flaminia and Via Emilia. The construction of the road was completed after the death of Gaius Flaminius, in 187 BC.

The building was dedicated to Emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus, known as Octavian Augustus. This is stated in the Latin inscription that “The Roman people and the Senate dedicate this arch to Caesar Octavian, son of Julius Caesar, for the seventh time emperor, for the seventh time consul and appointed for the eighth time consul on the occasion of the restoration of the Via Flaminia.”

Emperor Augustus earned popular love not only for his numerous military exploits, but also for his active economic and social policies. Under him, houses were built from marble for the first time, and various sciences and arts reached their peak.

The Arch of Augustus is the first monumental structure dedicated to the emperor, which was erected not in Rome itself, but in the province.

In the 3rd century AD, a wide fortress wall was erected around Rimini, and the arch organically fit into it, becoming part of the defensive structures.

In the Middle Ages, the arch had the function of the southern city gate in the fortress wall. There is an assumption that it was located between two security towers, the remains of which can be seen today near the landmark.

During World War II, the city's fortress walls were destroyed by bombing and shelling; Only a small part of the fortress wall near the arch itself survived.

Also, part of the defensive wall can be seen in the Alcide Cerve park.

On the pages of our website you will also learn. Have an unforgettable shopping experience in this city!

Description of the attraction

Of all the Italian arches, this one is rightfully considered the most ancient - it is more than 2 thousand years old.

It is made of Istrian stone, which was used at that time in construction work (the shape of the stones is large squares), and the foundation of the arch is made of sandstone. By the way, the Tiberius Bridge is also made of Istrian stone - another attraction of the city of Rimini.

The width of the arch opening is 9 meters, the thickness of the walls is slightly more than four meters. The height of the structure reaches almost 10 meters (9.92 m). One side of the arch faces Rimini, the other faces Rome.

The arch is covered with a semi-cylindrical vault. This architectural element was borrowed by Roman architects from Etruscan masters, who began to use semicircular vaults much earlier than the Romans.

The top of the arch was crowned with a sculptural quadriga made of expensive marble - four horses, ruled by Emperor Octavian Augustus (the statue of the emperor was cast in bronze).

Unfortunately, today it is not possible to see this splendor - during one of the earthquakes, the sculptural composition was almost completely destroyed and could not be restored. In the Middle Ages (mid-10th century) it was replaced by “Gibbelin battlements.” The teeth resemble the shape of the letter “M” (everyone has seen these teeth - these are the ones that decorate the walls of the Moscow Kremlin).

The arch is quite simple in appearance, but the preserved stone and marble decoration conveys all the beauty and grandeur of the ancient Roman era.

The walls on both sides of the arch were decorated with fluted pilasters and Corinthian columns. The vault of the arch is decorated with stone heads of bulls - this indicates that the place belongs to Rome, that Rimini is a Roman colony.

Near the capitals there are 4 stone medallions with images of Roman deities.: on the facade facing Rome, there are images of Apollo and Jupiter, and on the facade facing Rimini, the formidable Neptune and Minerva (the patroness of Rome) are inscribed. Images of gods symbolize important military victories of the Roman Empire.

Today, you can imagine the arch in its original form only by the power of your own imagination, but still the opportunity to see it is provided by the Rimini City Historical Museum.

A model of the Arc de Triomphe, based on images from the ancient Roman era, is on display here. and, as the inhabitants of ancient Rimini saw it - with an impressive arcade and a sculptural composition at the top. The model is located behind glass partitions and surrounded by powerful lighting, so that even the smallest finishing details can be seen.

Currently, the place where the arch is located is a pedestrian area (from the Arch of Augustus to Piazza Cavour). In the evenings, young people gather here, a fairly popular place for leisurely walks or gatherings in cafes, of which there are a great many around the attraction (among them you can find cafes with very affordable prices).

Numerous souvenir shops offer tourists “real stones from the former fortress wall,” but, of course, these are simple souvenir stones.

You can visit the Arch of Augustus at any time of the day and for free.

Where is it, how to get there

The Arch of Augustus is located in the historical part of the city, at the intersection of Via XX Settembre and Corso d’Augusto.

300 meters from the attraction is the Square of the Three Martyrs (Piazza Tre Martiri).

You can also get to the historical monument by taxi, but given that there is a huge influx of tourists in Rimini, taxi drivers greatly inflate fares - a distance of a couple of stops can cost 15 euros. Whereas the price of travel on public transport is only 1.3 - 1.5 euros.

You can get to the arch by bus number 11 (get off at stop number 5, return to Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, and from there walk to the arch).

Those arriving by car will have to leave their car in the parking lot.(there is paid parking near the indoor market, the cost is 1.3 euros per hour). You must pay for parking (only those who live in houses near the market leave their cars here for free), otherwise the car may be towed to the impound lot.

Numerous tourists from around the world come here, considering it its main asset. Rimini- sea and sandy beaches of the Adriatic. Meanwhile, this ancient city of Italy is rich in historical monuments, and there are also theme parks where you can spend the whole day.

Historians have established the exact date of the founding of the Roman settlement of Ariminum on the seashore. This was in 268 BC. e.

Remained from those ancient times Arch of Augustus(Arco di Augusto), erected in honor of Emperor Caesar Octavian Augustus (Gaius Iulius Caesar Octavianus Augustus) in 27 BC. e. after the completion of the road between Rome and the Adriatic coast. Today it is the most famous landmark of Rimini and the oldest arch in Italy. All travelers coming to the resort consider it their duty to visit here.

Initially, the arch was crowned with a sculptural group - a quadriga, which was ruled by Caesar Octavian Augustus. The attic of the building was decorated with an inscription - dedication and gratitude to Caesar for the built roads: “The Senate and People of Rome dedicate this monument to Emperor Caesar Octavian, son of the divine Julius Caesar, for the seventh time emperor, for the seventh time consul and appointed for the eighth time consul on the occasion of the restoration of the Flaminius road and other roads of Italy, established and regulated by him.”

During the Middle Ages, the arch served as a gate, and impregnable walls were erected nearby to protect against enemies. At the same time, the quadriga was replaced with teeth, but the ancient bas-reliefs were not touched. And today you can see on the facades images of the main Roman gods - Zeus, Apollo, Neptune and Minerva.

In the north of the city of Rimini flows a small river Rubicone. Everyone is probably familiar with the catchphrase: “Cross the Rubicon.” This is the same legendary river that went down in history.

Let us briefly explain the meaning of Caesar's phrase. “Crossing the Rubicon” is literally making a difficult decision on which the future will depend. It was in the 50s. BC e. the great Roman commander, at that time a consul, was wondering what to do after the victorious war in Gaul. Go to Rome, seize power in the empire or, as required by the Senate decree, leave leadership of the army? Guy Julius Caesar, after much thought (this all happened on the banks of the Rubicon), exclaimed: “The die is cast!” (Alea jacta est!) and gave the order to the legions to cross the river, which at that time separated Gaul and Italy.

We are located next to the Arch of Constantine. Beth Harris, Stephen Zucker and Valentina Follo are with you. We see the arch against the backdrop of the Colosseum. Maybe let's start with the question: what is the special significance of the Arch of Constantine? There were many arches in Rome, but only a few have survived. Nowadays, some of the arches can be observed by tourists and students walking along the streets of Rome. These arches were dedicated to victorious warriors, usually as a sign of their victory over another country. They were usually located in strategic areas of the city as they conveyed a message and were therefore located in specific locations. The arch was dedicated to Constantine and his victory over another Roman. There were times in the history of Rome when there was unrest in the Empire. Several contenders who wanted to become emperors fought for one throne. The winner was Constantine, so it is somewhat strange that this is a monument in honor of the victory of a Roman over another Roman. In a sense, it was a civil war... That's right, it was a civil war. Typically, triumphal arches were dedicated to victories over other countries to show the spread of Rome's power beyond its borders. It is interesting that this arch is essentially a reflection of the turmoil in Roman history and, to some extent, it is evidence of the unification of Rome. Yes, this was the moment when Constantine was finally able to return all power to his own hands. This is very curious, since the arch is also located along the route of the Triumphal Road. After a triumph, the most important military leaders could parade through the streets of Rome, showing off their trophies, that is, they could show captured animals, prisoners, war booty, works of art... The function of the arch is a constant reminder of celebration and military pride. It is true that, as a rule, the panels of the arch show scenes of triumph. Let's take a closer look? Yes, we can take a closer look. Constantine decided to use some trophies obtained not in this war, but taken from other monuments in the city of Rome. To do this, he took elements from pre-existing monuments. He wanted to show himself to be a truly good emperor, and so he borrowed elements from those rulers who were considered worthy. Becoming an emperor after a civil war was always going to be difficult, right? So I had to get better. It was a difficult and exciting time, there were many wars, not only civilian ones, but also with other nations. This was preceded by the so-called Golden Age of Rome. If you count back and skip one century. Perhaps it's like President Obama said, "I'm like John F. Kennedy." Exactly, this is exactly such a case. Constantine did not limit himself to words, but clearly demonstrated this by taking elements from existing monuments. He simply took the portraits of these emperors and placed them on his own arch. Naturally, the faces in the portraits were replaced with the face of Constantine. So, the dimensions of the arch are monumental. You can read the message written from bottom to top. Below are symbols of victories - peculiar angels... predecessors of angels... I see something like a niche. This is a niche, this is a victory... a symbol of victory. Yes exactly. This is a female image... This is usually followed by captives, enemies, defeated at the feet of these symbols of victory. So these are enemy commanders. Of course, they could not show the Romans, since their own people are not shown in the same arch with them. The usual elements of a triumphal arch were taken. Everything here is pretty standard. Exactly! They bowed their heads, you can see whole families: mother, father, child... They have very sorrowful faces, so it is clear that they were taken prisoner. Of course, the captives were destined to become slaves of the city, so they met a sad end. Next comes the 2nd level, and we see the circles that were borrowed from the former monument to Hadrian. Hadrian was a very important emperor, he was called the philosopher emperor. He loved Greek art, traveled a lot, visited the provinces. He was a philosopher-emperor who benefited his people. Initially, they showed scenes of hunting and sacrifice to the gods. They had nothing to do with military victories and in themselves did not carry much meaning. But their placement in the arch was, of course, an important change, since it demonstrated the success of the emperor in all areas. In fact, the emperor was considered a good emperor because he was a good hunter... You can remember the facade of the American Museum of Natural History in New York: there Theodore Roosevelt is depicted as a hunter, scientist, philanthropist, that is, all facets are shown... . .. great leader. So what does Adrian do? Here is a hunt for a boar, a bear, a lion... After the hunt, naturally, a sacrifice takes place in gratitude to the gods. It is noteworthy that the round panels are set in red stone. This red stone is typical of the times of Constantine. This is a special stone called “porphyry”, which was brought from Egypt and could only be used by emperors. This stone is quite difficult to process. What we see was carved in the 2nd century. and set into purple to symbolize... ...special honors? Exactly. This gives it importance. It was Constantine who placed Hadrian in purple, showing honor to the previous emperor, his respect, one might say, taking on part of Hadrian's greatness in this way Yes. If we look at the top level, sort of the top floor, the attic, we see two things: We see free-standing statues of prisoners. They are shown wearing strange trousers, short tunics, robes and very strange headdresses - something like soft pointed hats. They were called “Phrygian caps” and were used to depict foreigners. Don't forget that only barbarians wore pants back then, and the Romans wore togas. In this case, these are images of the nations and peoples that Trojan defeated, and they were probably taken from the main forum - the main square that Trojan built after the war to celebrate his victory. In this case, this is another borrowing from another great ruler - Emperor Trajan. It is interesting to mention the styles and different ways of conveying images on the arch. The main thing is that if we approach directly from the front, we see the only element carved for this arch in the time of Constantine. It is a long frieze depicting the emperor sitting on a throne and distributing coins to the people as a gesture of generosity. This was a typical element of Roman artistic illustration: the emperor is good, the emperor is generous to the people, the emperor is generous, he can distribute the wealth obtained during the war. But he has no head. True, he is missing his head. The peculiarity of this panel is that the people are shown on a smaller scale compared to the emperor, who is depicted at a higher level as the main figure on the pediment. This trend will continue in art: the most important people look directly at you from the monument. This is reminiscent of later phenomena in medieval art. Exactly. In fact, this is the beginning of this style. If you look at the other panels, you can see that the emperor is not looking at you. He addresses the other people depicted on the panel. They wanted to convey that the emperor is the most important figure, which is why he is larger and shown in the foreground. We see the same type of interaction in medieval art, where everything is very straightforward, the most important figure is shown in front, larger in size, hierarchical order is observed at the expense of naturalism. All this originates in the classicism of the 1st and 2nd centuries. It's just a different approach. This says something different about the society that created art. This is what art does. The Emperor begins to separate himself from the people he must rule. Interesting. I think many, looking at the frieze, will see these forms not only more hierarchical, but also more symbolic, Right? That is, you mentioned the deep naturalism of the round panels, but here the figures look, it seems to me, less elaborate. There is a feeling that they were created by a not very skilled sculptor. The fact is that one of the reasons why scholars talk about Constantine's use of elements from existing monuments is that he ordered the construction of the arch at a time when few artists could repeat the skill of their predecessors. Other scholars say this is a sign of the influence of so-called mass art, which has been used by ordinary people for centuries. Because if we pay attention to the tombstones of the middle class, even from the 1st and 2nd centuries, we will not find many differences. Some scholars have suggested that such mass art is addressed directly to the middle class. In some ways, their style was contrasted with one that was more elaborate and perhaps more refined. So we have a truly political goal. The influence of the lower classes on the upper classes did exist. If we recall more recent times, then in the 19th century. elements of folk art were deliberately used. Or the art of untrained or less trained artists than is the case with the formal or "professional" style. They had very different goals and motives. It's hard not to see it as decline, or decadence, as you said. They stopped studying methods of depicting the human figure or simply did not have the opportunity to learn. But this could happen completely unintentionally. Of course, the ancient Romans were able to truly improve the arch and use it for architectural purposes. We can see the capstone, wedge stones and heel very clearly. The arch was an innovation in Roman architecture. It was a beautiful structure that can be decorated, that is, it is a decorated form. Despite the fact that not everything survived, the passage was preserved, but such a passage is not needed in the city. I mean, of course, this is the climax of this triumphal procession, so it was important. You know, before even we could walk under the arch. But now it is fenced off, and the monument is separated from the city. He completely lost touch with the streets and people. Now it is only a monument and is no longer what it was before. It was connected to the street, and across the street to the forum - the main square of the Romans, the center of public life in the city. So this is really the gateway, the climax, as you said. Yes.