Trajan's Column

The Colonna di Traiano (Trajan's Column) is situated in Rome. It was constructed for want of Traiano and inaugurated in 113 d.C.

It is a column which is 29,6 metres high and represents a papyrus which shows the tasks carried out by the Emperor and his army in Dacia. In the highest part of the column there is a statue of Saint Peter which substituted, for want of Pope Sisto V, that of Traiano.

At the corners of the pedestal there is a laurel wreath carried by four eagles.

As for the embossments, there are battles, fortification works, sacrifices, speaches given by the Emperor (he is represented 59 times), soldiers carrying out deforestation, and other scenes from daily life.

All these scenes present an historical story which puts together the artistic tradition of Hellenistic art and the Roman majesty of the Emperors glorification.

Realism is represented by the only symbolic element, and that is the personification of the majestic, bearded Danubio who comes out from under his bed and invites the Romans to pass by.

The artist of this opera is unknown. Much importance has been attributed to the column, in fact it has always remained intact even after the ruin of all the other buildings. This is because in 1162, the Senate established that it was public property and therefore could not be damaged.