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The Arch of Augustus (in
The Arch of Augustus on the website of the Autonomous Region Aosta Valley
{{Authority control Ancient Roman triumphal arches in Italy Buildings and structures in Aosta Augustus
The Arch of Augustus (in French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
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''Arc d'Auguste'') is a monument in the city of Aosta, northern Italy
Northern Italy ( it, Italia settentrionale, it, Nord Italia, label=none, it, Alta Italia, label=none or just it, Nord, label=none) is a geographical and cultural region in the northern part of Italy. It consists of eight administrative regions ...
.
It was erected in 25 BC on the occasion of the Roman victory over the Salassi and was the work of Aulus Terentius Varro Murena
Aulus Terentius Varro Murena (died 24 BC) was a Roman general and politician of the 1st century BC.
Biography
Murena was the natural born son of Aulus Terentius Varro, and adopted brother to Lucius Licinius Varro Murena. He was well connected t ...
.
It is located at the end of the '' decumanus maximus'', a little distance from the ''Bourg Saint-Ours'' (quarter of the Collegiate Church of Saint Ursus
The Collegiate church of Saint Ursus ( it, Collegiata di Sant'Orso, french: Collégiale de Saint-Ours) is a collegiate church in Aosta, northern Italy, dedicated to Saint Ursus of Aosta.
The original church had a single hall, delimited by a sem ...
) and from the eastern entrance of the city wall (the Porta Prætoria Porta can refer to:
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).
Description
Constructed fromconglomerate
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** Co ...
, the arch has a single vault, with a height to the keystone of . Its span is a barrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault, wagon vault or wagonhead vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves, in the case of a pointed barrel vault) along a given distance. The curves are ...
, 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 capital
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s, while the entablature
An entablature (; nativization of Italian , from "in" and "table") is the superstructure of moldings and bands which lies horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and ...
, adorned with metopes and triglyphs, is of the Doric order.
In the Medieval period, it came to be called the Saint-Voût (French for "Holy Arch") from an image of Jesus which was located in the same place.
During the 12th 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
An attic (sometimes referred to as a '' loft'') is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building; an attic may also be called a ''sky parlor'' or a garret. Because attics fill the space between the ceiling of the ...
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.P. Barocelli, "L'arco di Augusto ad Aosta: I restauri del 1912-1913", ''Rivista di Studi Liguri'' XLI-XLII (1975-1976) p. 283
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.
Quotation
See also
* Arch of Augustus (disambiguation) for other such monuments * List of Roman triumphal archesReferences
External links
*The Arch of Augustus on the website of the Autonomous Region Aosta Valley
{{Authority control Ancient Roman triumphal arches in Italy Buildings and structures in Aosta Augustus