Pezzi bronzei di statua colossale di costantino, 330-37 ca

The

Capitoline Museums The Capitoline Museums (Italian: ''Musei Capitolini'') are a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Pala ...

in Rome hold parts of a bronze colossus of Constantine. The

colossal statue Colossal may refer to: * ''Colossal'' (film), a 2016 science fiction film starring Anne Hathaway * (Colossal) Pictures, entertainment company which closed in 2000 * Colossal (band), American punk band formed in 2001 * "Colossal", a song by Scale ...

of a Roman emperor was probably made in the 4th century but only fragments survive. It is usually interpreted as depicting

Constantine the Great Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to Constantine the Great and Christianity, convert to Christiani ...

. The museum also holds fragments from an

acrolith An acrolith is a composite sculpture made of stone together with other materials such as wood or inferior stone such as limestone, as in the case of a figure whose clothed parts are made of wood, while the exposed flesh parts such as head, hands, ...

Colossus of Constantine The ''Colossus of Constantine'' ( it, Statua Colossale di Costantino I) was a many times life-size acrolithic early-4th-century statue depicting the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (''c.'' 280–337), commissioned by himself, which origin ...

, an even larger marble statue once erected in the

Basilica of Maxentius The Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine ( it, Basilica di Massenzio), sometimes known as the Basilica Nova—meaning "new basilica"—or Basilica of Maxentius, is an ancient building in the Roman Forum, Rome, Italy. It was the largest building ...

near the

Forum Romanum The Roman Forum, also known by its Latin name Forum Romanum ( it, Foro Romano), is a rectangular forum (plaza) surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient ...

, which are displayed in the courtyard of the museum's

Palazzo dei Conservatori The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. Th ...

on the

Capitoline Hill The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. Th ...

Description

Hand of the monumental bronze statue of Constantine emperor 1

The bronze statue was probably made before the year 326. When complete, it may have reached in height. Three large fragments of the statue survive, some with traces of gilding: a large head, high, or without the neck (recorded in the museum's inventory as MC1072); a left hand, which measures (inv. MC1070); and a spiked orb measuring (inv. MC1065). All three fragments are damaged: the crown of the head is missing, as are parts of some fingers of the hand. Early sources indicate the head was crowned, with the left hand holding a globe (both surviving but now separated) and the right hand holding a sword (both missing). Much of the statue is missing: many bronze panels may have been melted down in late antiquity or the Middle Ages. The missing end of the index finger, about long, was rediscovered in 2018 in the collection of the

Louvre Museum The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

in Paris (inv. Br 78). It had been acquired with the collection of

Giampietro Campana Giampietro Campana (1808 – 10 October 1880), created marchese di Cavelli (1849), was an Italian art collector who assembled one of the nineteenth century's greatest collection of Greek and Roman sculpture and antiquities. The part of his collec ...

in 1862, but was long mistaken for a toe. It was reunited with the hand in 2021 in an initial five year renewable loan. The end of the middle finger remains missing. Constantine's head at capitoline - Flickr - cking

Constantine's head at capitoline - Flickr - cking

Based on its similarity to the emperor's depictions on coins and resemblance to the marble

, the head is usually identified as a portrait of

, who was Roman emperor from 306 to 337. It is thought to have been made before his '' vicennalia'', celebrating the twenty year of his reign in 326. From other numismatic evidence, others have suggested it may depict Constantine's son,

Constantius II Constantius II (Latin: ''Flavius Julius Constantius''; grc-gre, Κωνστάντιος; 7 August 317 – 3 November 361) was Roman emperor from 337 to 361. His reign saw constant warfare on the borders against the Sasanian Empire and Germani ...

. Some have suggested the statue reuses parts of a much earlier

Colossus of Nero The Colossus of Nero (''Colossus Neronis'') was a bronze statue that the Emperor Nero (37–68 AD) created in the vestibule of his Domus Aurea, the imperial villa complex which spanned a large area from the north side of the Palatine Hill, acros ...

, although probably not the colossus erected at the

Flavian amphitheatre The Colosseum ( ; it, Colosseo ) is an oval amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, just east of the Roman Forum. It is the largest ancient amphitheatre ever built, and is still the largest standing amphitheatre in the world to ...

, perhaps later remodelled to represent

Commodus Commodus (; 31 August 161 – 31 December 192) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 177 to 192. He served jointly with his father Marcus Aurelius from 176 until the latter's death in 180, and thereafter he reigned alone until his assassination. ...

, and later remodelled again to represent Constantine.

Location

The statue may have been originally erected at the

Lateran Palace The Lateran Palace ( la, Palatium Lateranense), formally the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran ( la, Palatium Apostolicum Lateranense), is an ancient palace of the Roman Empire and later the main papal residence in southeast Rome. Located on St. ...

, then known as the "Domus Faustae" or "House of Fausta" after Constantine's second wife

Fausta Flavia Maxima Fausta ''Augusta'' (289–326 AD) was a Roman empress. She was the daughter of Maximian and second wife of Constantine the Great, who had her executed and excluded from all official accounts for unknown reasons. Historians Zosimu ...

. By the 1320s, a head and hand were displayed between the church of

St John Lateran The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

and the

, near the

equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius The ''Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius'' (, ) is an ancient Roman equestrian statue on the Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy. It is made of bronze and stands 4.24 m (13.9 ft) tall. Although the emperor is mounted, it exhibits many similari ...

, which was then also thought to depict Constantine. Along with other antiquities, including the

Capitoline Wolf The Capitoline Wolf (Italian: ''Lupa Capitolina'') is a bronze sculpture depicting a scene from the legend of the founding of Rome. The sculpture shows a she-wolf suckling the mythical twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. According to the ...

and the ''

Spinario ''Boy with Thorn'', also called ''Fedele'' (Fedelino) or ''Spinario'', is a Greco-Roman Hellenistic bronze sculpture of a boy withdrawing a Spine (botany), thorn from the sole of his foot, now in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, Rome. There is a Ro ...

'', the fragments were donated to the city of Rome by

Pope Sixtus IV Pope Sixtus IV ( it, Sisto IV: 21 July 1414 – 12 August 1484), born Francesco della Rovere, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 August 1471 to his death in August 1484. His accomplishments as pope include ...

in 1471, and transferred to the

on the Capitoline Hill, now part of the

Capitoline Museum The Capitoline Museums (Italian: ''Musei Capitolini'') are a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazz ...

. The left hand still held the orb as late as the 1580s, but around this time the orb was removed to be mounted on the ''columna milliaria'' that had marked the first mile (1000 paces) along the

Appian Way The Appian Way (Latin and Italian language, Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient Roman Republic, republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is ...

, which had also been moved to the Capitoline. An 18th century etching by

Piranesi Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian Classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric ...

shows the orb mounted on this column. The orb and the other fragments are now held in the Capitoline Museum, and displayed in the Exhedra of Marcus Aurelius, a glass pavilion constructed in the 1990s to house the original gilt-bronze

after it was restored (with its place in the

Piazza del Campidoglio The Capitolium or Capitoline Hill ( ; it, Campidoglio ; la, Mons Capitolinus ), between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The hill was earlier known as ''Mons Saturnius'', dedicated to the god Saturn. Th ...

taken by a replica), along with a gilt-bronze statue of Hercules found in the

Forum Boarium The Forum Boarium (, it, Foro Boario) was the cattle ''forum venalium'' of ancient Rome. It was located on a level piece of land near the Tiber between the Capitoline, the Palatine and Aventine hills. As the site of the original docks of Rome ...

. File:Remanescentes de estátua colossal de Constantino.jpg, Three surviving parts of the colossus, in 2006: head, left hand, and spiked orb File:0 Gaius Flavius Valerius Constantinus - Palatino.JPG, Head, 2013 File:Hand - Monumental bronze statue of Constantine - Palazzo dei Conservatori - Rome 2016.jpg, Hand, 2016 File:Orb - Monumental bronze statue of Constantine - Palazzo dei Conservatori - Rome 2016.jpg, Orb, 2016 File:Latran (Paulino da Venezia, 1321).jpg, Map by Paulino da Venezia c.1320 showing the head and hand (right of centre) near the

at the

Lateran 250px, Basilica and Palace - side view Lateran and Laterano are the shared names of several buildings in Rome. The properties were once owned by the Lateranus family of the Roman Empire. The Laterani lost their properties to Emperor Constantine ...

File:Piranesi-17009.jpg, 18th century engraving by

Giovanni Battista Piranesi Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian Classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his etchings of Rome and of fictitious and atmospheric " ...

, showing the orb on a column

Other statues of Constantine in Rome

Contemporary (4th century) smaller marble statues of Emperor Constantine can be seen at the entrance to the

Quirinal Palace The Quirinal Palace ( it, Palazzo del Quirinale ) is a historic building in Rome, Italy, one of the three current official residences of the president of the Italian Republic, together with Villa Rosebery in Naples and the Tenuta di Castelporzian ...

and in the

narthex The narthex is an architectural element typical of early Christian and Byzantine basilicas and churches consisting of the entrance or lobby area, located at the west end of the nave, opposite the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex ...

of the church of

San Giovanni Laterano The Archbasilica Cathedral of the Most Holy Savior and of Saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist in the Lateran ( it, Arcibasilica del Santissimo Salvatore e dei Santi Giovanni Battista ed Evangelista in Laterano), also known as the Papa ...

References

* Capitoline Museums catalogue
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orb

Colossal Bronze Statue of Roman Emperor Reunited With Its Long-Lost Finger
Smithsonian Magazine, 30 April 2021
Index finger
at the Louvre Capitoline Museums 4th-century Roman sculptures Late Roman Empire sculptures Cultural depictions of Constantine the Great Roman sculpture portraits of emperors Ancient Greek and Roman colossal statues Ancient Roman metalwork