St Pauls cont....

Category: My latest Europe trip | Posted: Mon Oct 31, 2005 12:10 pm

Here is a funny little story. In one of the last pics, of the interior of the church, at the far end of the church you will see a half dome.
Here is a pic of it close up.

It features Christ in the middle, seated on the Throne, flanked by the Apostles each side (Paul, Peter, etc) The Pope who commissioned the artwork of this dome, Pope Martin V (1417-1431), insisted that he also be included among this holy group.
The artist declined, saying he was not worthy to be included in such company.
So a big argument ensued for many weeks. The Pope finally demanded that he be included or the artist would not be paid.
So the artist complied. And we can see the inclusion at the feet of Christ. A man no larger than a rat (which was what the artist intended!)

From St Pauls it was on to The Colloseum and the Arch of Constantine.

Below is the Arch of Constantine.

The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch, erected c. 315 AD to commemorate the triumph of Constantine I after his victory over Maxentius in the battle at the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD. The arch is located in the valley of the Colosseum, between the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum, along the road taken by the triumphal processions.

The arch is the largest of only three such arches to survive in Rome today. The two others are the Arch of Titus and the Arch of Septimius Severus, both in the nearby Forum Romanum.

The battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD was the decisive moment in Constantine's quest for power. He had been proclaimed Augustus by the troops in Britain in 306 AD, after the death of his father in York, and even though he had no legal right to that title, he refused to relinquish it. Likewise, Maxentius claimed the title of Augustus of the western empire. The conflict was finally resolved in the battle of the Milvian Bridge just N. of Rome, when Constantine's army defeated the numerically superior but less experienced troops of Maxentius. Maxentius perished while trying to flee across the Tiber River, as a temporary bridge made of boats collapsed under him and his troops.

Constantine entered Rome victoriously, and the senate awarded him a triumphal arch. Construction began immediately, and the arch was finished in a few years, to be consecrated in 315/316 AD on the tenth anniversary of Constantine's rise to power.
The monument is not mentioned by any ancient source, but it is clearly identified by the inscription. The year of dedication is written on the arch itself: "Votis X".

The Arch of Constantine is a three-way arch, measuring 21m in height, 25.7m in width and 7.4m in depth. The central archway is 11.5m high and 6.5m wide, while the lateral archways are 7.4mÃƒâ€”3.4m. Eight detached Corinthian columns, four on each side, stand on plinths on the sides of the archways. The lower part, the arches and supporting piers, is build of white marble in opus quadratum, while the attic is opus latericium covered with marble slabs. The different construction techniques might indicate different construction times for the two parts, as some theories argue.

The Colloseum

The Colloseum is next to the Arch.

The Colosseum is the most famous monument of Ancient Rome. Its original name is Flavian Amphitheatre. It was started by the Emperor Vespasian between 70 and 76 AD, and completed by his son Titus in 80 AD.

The Colosseum was dedicated the year after Vespasian's death by Titus. They celebrated the opening by holding 100 days worth of games there. It was built on the site where Nero had had a huge villa for himself (Domus Aurea).

Vespasian wanted to build something for the people rather than for himself. It got its popular name, the Colosseum, because it was built near where Nero had erected a huge statue, or colossus of himself. It showed him as the god of the sun. It was 100 feet high, and it was the largest gilded bronze statue in antiquity. It was later moved away. It took 24 elephants to move it!

Here is a pic of the inside which clearly shows the maze of tunnels under the main arena. (They are in the middle of restoring it currently)

The main arena was made of timber (like flooring) upon which dirt was placed.

An interesting fact about the Colloseum is that, even though it held 50,000 people, it could be emptied with 15 minutes due to its many columbed structure. It was easy to get into and easy to leave. Very little congestion.

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