Basilica of Maxentius

Rome, Italy

The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine (Basilica di Massenzio) is the largest ancient building in the Roman Forum. Construction began on the northern side of the forum under the emperor Maxentius in 308, and was completed in 312 by Constantine I after his defeat of Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. The building rose close to the Temple of Peace, at that time probably neglected, and the Temple of Venus and Rome, whose reconstruction was part of Maxentius' interventions.

The building consisted of a central nave covered by three groin vaults suspended 39 meters above the floor on four large piers, ending in an apse at the western end containing a colossal statue of Constantine (remnants of which are now in a courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori of the Musei Capitolini).

The south and central sections were probably destroyed by the earthquake of 847. In 1349 the vault of the nave collapsed in another earthquake. The only one of the eight 20-meter-high columns, which survived the earthquake was brought by Pope Paul V to Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore in 1614. All that remains of the basilica today is the north aisle with its three concrete barrel vaults. The ceilings of the barrel vaults show advanced weight-saving structural skill with octagonal ceiling coffers.

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Address

Via dei Fori Imperiali 23, Rome, Italy
See all sites in Rome

Details

Founded: 308-312
Category: Prehistoric and archaeological sites in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Colosseum (0,4 km)
Sistine Chapel (3,1 km)
Arch of Constantine (0,3 km)
St. Peter's Basilica (3,1 km)
Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli (0,5 km)
Altare della Patria (0,5 km)
St. Peter's Square (2,8 km)
Pantheon (1,2 km)
Vatican Historical Museum (3,2 km)


Villa d'Este (26,6 km)

User Reviews

David F (3 years ago)
it's amazing to see these ancient Roman sites still standing
Tomasz Kielak (4 years ago)
While not much of the original structure remains the size of what is left is mind boggling. It's like a rocket hangar built from stone
Big Boss (4 years ago)
It is one of the last magnificent buildings that reminds of the size of the Roman Empire and its architecture.
Michelle Clyde, Realtor (4 years ago)
Incredibly awesome. I took a tour that included the Ruins along with the Colosseum. It was totally worth it. Several hours of walking so make sure that you were comfortable shoes.
Milen Dimitrov (4 years ago)
This building was the largest ever built on the Roman Forum, and was known as Basilica Nova. It was used for a court-house, and for gathering of large number of Romans. It housed the giant statue of Constantine, now standing in the Capitoline Museum. Instead of having columns to support the ceiling, there were arches and the roof was not flat, so its weight could be held by the arches. Only the north facade is now still standing. Despite this fact, when entering the Basilica, one feels so small and could imagine how did the ordinary Roman citizen felt in front of the court.
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Historic Site of the week

Broch of Gurness

The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.

The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick. The tower was likely inhabited by the principal family or clan of the area but also served as a last resort for the village in case of an attack.

The broch continued to be inhabited while it began to collapse and the original structures were altered. The cistern was filled in and the interior was repartitioned. The ruin visible today reflects this secondary phase of the broch's use.

The site is surrounded by three ditches cut out of the rock with stone ramparts, encircling an area of around 45 metres diameter. The remains of numerous small stone dwellings with small yards and sheds can be found between the inner ditch and the tower. These were built after the tower, but were a part of the settlement's initial conception. A 'main street' connects the outer entrance to the broch. The settlement is the best-preserved of all broch villages.

Pieces of a Roman amphora dating to before 60 AD were found here, lending weight to the record that a 'King of Orkney' submitted to Emperor Claudius at Colchester in 43 AD.

At some point after 100 AD the broch was abandoned and the ditches filled in. It is thought that settlement at the broch continued into the 5th century AD, the period known as Pictish times. By that time the broch was not used anymore and some of its stones were reused to build smaller dwellings on top of the earlier buildings. Until about the 8th century, the site was just a single farmstead.

In the 9th century, a Norse woman was buried at the site in a stone-lined grave with two bronze brooches and a sickle and knife made from iron. Other finds suggest that Norse men were buried here too.

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