Where is the oldest surviving ancient Roman
triumphal arch? Not in Rome… but in Rimini!
This town is a popular seaside resort on
the Adriatic Sea in the region Emilia Romagna.Rimini is famous for its long beaches, friendly organized bathing
establishments, family run hotels, great food, loud thumping discotèques, and
this really, really ancient piece of architecture. It is also famous for a Renaissance
church by Leon Battista Alberti (which will be the topic of another future post!).
In order to make the Arch stand out a bit
more, in the early 20th century the town demolished many of the surrounding
buildings. It thus created an isolated setting for this omnipotent monument
which beckons you to create a relationship with it. I mean you don’t just want look
at it from a car window, you want to get near the work, you want to create a dialogue with
it. One needs to absolutely walk underneath the Arch from one side to the other. It
is super big!
Rimini’s Triumphant Arch dates to 27 BC. It is 17 meters high and is
built in Istrian stone. It was placed on this location to mark the entrance of
the Flamianian way, the road which linked Rimini
to Rome. The
arch was erected by the Roman Senate in memorial of Emperor Augustus and one
can still make out the inscription at the top. In this sense it can be read
more as a memorial arch rather than a triumphant arch. The wide opening of the
arch itself is a reference to the new peace which was achieved after a long
period of civil wars. Gods are pictured in the ovals. Jupiter and Apollo face away
from the city. Neptune and Rome
face toward the city. They represent the greatness of Rome and Augustus’ power.
The battlements on top may look a little odd.
That is because they are not original. They were added in medieval times around
the 10th century.
- Photos and Post by Elizabeth
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