The Igel Column (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

: ''Igeler Säule'') is a multi-storeyed

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

column in the municipality of

Igel Igel is a municipality in the Trier-Saarburg district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Igel is known for the Igel Column, a 23 m high Roman decorated tomb. The Igel Column is a UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landma ...

Trier Trier ( , ; lb, Tréier ), formerly known in English as Trèves ( ;) and Triers (see also names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle in Germany. It lies in a valley between low vine-covered hills of red sandstone in the ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, dated to . The column is the burial monument of the Secundinii cloth merchant family, and was built by two of the family members, Lucius Secundinius Aventinus and Lucius Secundinus Securus. Measuring in height, it is crowned by the sculptural group of

Jupiter Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...

and Ganymede. The column includes a four-stepped base, a relatively low

podium A podium (plural podiums or podia) is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. It derives from the Greek ''πόδι'' (foot). In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podiums can also be used ...

, topped by a projecting cornice, a storey, its flat

Corinthian Corinthian or Corinthians may refer to: *Several Pauline epistles, books of the New Testament of the Bible: **First Epistle to the Corinthians **Second Epistle to the Corinthians **Third Epistle to the Corinthians (Orthodox) *A demonym relating to ...

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s with decorated shafts, supporting an architrave, a sculptured

frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

and a heavy cornice. The

bas-relief Relief is a sculptural method in which the sculpted pieces are bonded to a solid background of the same material. The term '' relief'' is from the Latin verb ''relevo'', to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is to give the impression that th ...

s feature a procession of six '' coloni'', bringing various donations to the house of their master. The ''coloni'' are received before the entrance to the

atrium Atrium may refer to: Anatomy * Atrium (heart), an anatomical structure of the heart * Atrium, the genital structure next to the genital aperture in the reproductive system of gastropods * Atrium of the ventricular system of the brain * Pulmona ...

. The donations consist of a hare, two fish, a kid, an eel, a rooster and a basket of fruit. The column is made out of red and red-grey

but was originally painted. Because of its testimony to the importance of Trier during Roman times, the Igel Column was designated as part of the

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...

'' Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier'' in 1986. It has been represented numerous times in paintings and drawings. A

polychrome Polychrome is the "practice of decorating architectural elements, sculpture, etc., in a variety of colors." The term is used to refer to certain styles of architecture, pottery or sculpture in multiple colors. Ancient Egypt Colossal statu ...

d replica dominates the central courtyard of the

Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier The ''Rheinische Landesmuseum Trier'' is an archaeological museum in Trier, Germany. The collection stretches from prehistory through the Roman period, the Middle Ages to the Baroque era with a strong emphasis on the Roman past of Augusta Trevero ...

. File:Igeler Säule - Bläu 1676.jpg,

Joan Blaeu Joan Blaeu (; 23 September 1596 – 21 December 1673) was a Dutch cartographer born in Alkmaar, the son of cartographer Willem Blaeu. Life In 1620, Blaeu became a doctor of law but he joined the work of his father. In 1635, they publish ...

, 1649 File:A Sepulchral Monument at Igel near Treves - Pococke Richard - 1745.jpg,

Richard Pococke Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765)''Notes and Queries'', p. 129. was an English-born churchman, inveterate traveller and travel writer. He was the Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church ...

, 1745 File:Rooker Pars Igel Column.jpg, Engraving by William Pars, 1783 Igel BW 2011-09-03 16-41-58.JPG, File:Igel Säule 3+.jpg, Back of the column File:Igel - Römische Säule 02.jpg, Central relief File:Igel BW 2011-09-03 16-41-58 (cropped).JPG, Detail top File:Igel2.jpg, Polychromed replica in the

References

{{reflist Buildings and structures in Trier Culture in Trier Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Germany Tourist attractions in Rhineland-Palatinate 3rd-century Roman sculptures World Heritage Sites in Germany Monumental columns in Germany