Arch of Augustus, Aosta, Italy - SpottingHistory.com

The Arch of Augustus was erected in 25 BC on the occasion of the Roman victory over the Salassi and was the work of Aulus Terentius Varro Murena.

Constructed from conglomerate, the arch has a single vault, with a height to the keystone of 11.4 metres. Its span is a barrel vault, constituting an extension in width of a round arch. In the monument, various styles can be recognised: The ten engaged columns which decorate its facade and its sides culminate in Corinthian capitals, while the entablature, adorned with metopes and triglyphs, is of the Doric order.

During the twelfth century, the arch contained the home of a local noble family and in 1318 a small fortification was built inside it, designed for a corps of crossbowmen. In 1716, because of the numerous leaks that were compromising the integrity of the monument, the attic that previously crowned the arch was replaced with a slate roof.

The arch's modern appearance is the result of a final intervention for restoration and consolidation which occurred in 1912 under the direction of Ernesto Schiaparelli.

The wooden crucifix displayed below the vault is a copy of the one which was placed there in 1449 as a votive offering against the flooding of the river Buthier, which flows a little to the east. The original crucifix is now housed in the Museum of Aosta Cathedral's Treasures.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Bernardus Ordelman (18 months ago)
Beautiful and interesting place

Ryan Cheeseman (21 months ago)
Great historical building directly across from a bridge. Both are Roman and used to be on the main road into town.

Andrea Motta (21 months ago)
One of the ancient principal port to get into Augusta Pretoria, built up by the Romans. In front of it we can just imagine how strong were them and how much the were smart.

Olexa Onyshchenko (2 years ago)
Historical place. If you love history it would be interesting. Not bed idea to visit if you driving by occasionally.

Misty K (2 years ago)
Saw this arch when we visited Aosta Italy the first time. Lots of history to tell and I saw group of kids having a brief of history about this arch. It is beautiful.

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In 2003, UNESCO included the old part of Derbent with traditional buildings in the World Heritage List.

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