Scholars used to view this use of spolia as a sign ofĭeclining skills in craftsmanship (the Constantinian elements are badly executed), more recent claims suggest that the use of spolia was intentional and places Constantine on equal footing with the revered emperors of the past. The spolia (reused decorative pieces from other monuments) are patchworked together with only a few of the decorative elements from the time of Constantine. The arch is an oddity that includes pieces from earlier monuments including images of Trajan, and Marcus Aurelius. with the ‘Edict of Milan’ and built three Christian Basilicas in Rome (San Giovanni, St Peters and St Paul’s outside the walls). The arch has three bays or passageways and is the largest surviving Roman triumphal arch, being about 25 meters wide and almost as tall, and its general design. The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. Constantine would go on to legalise Christianity in 313 A.D. Today, some see the arch as the triumph of Christianity over paganism. Celebrated surviving examples of triumphal arches include the Arch of Constantine and the Arch of Septimius Severus, both in Rome. The Emperor Constantine is an important figure in Roman history for multiple reasons: his transformation of Roman politics, the founding of Constantinople (the city we know as Istanbul), and his tolerance and support of the Christian religion. The Triumphal Arch was a type of Roman architectural monument built all over the empire to commemorate military triumphs and other significant events such as the accession of a new emperor.

Arch of constantine rome