Near the Colosseum on the way to the Palatine Hill stands the Triumphal Arch. It was built by Emperor Constantine in honor of his own victory over another Roman emperor, Maxentius.

An interesting fact: almost the entire decoration of the Arch of Constantine was "borrowed" from other structures. There may be several explanations for this: they could not find worthy craftsmen, construction deadlines were tight, or they simply took the details "for luck," as a symbol of the times of the "good emperors," when the country reached its highest prosperity.

The arch is 21 m high and has three spans. The largest of them reaches 11.5 m in height, the side ones are just over 7 m. On the attic there are 8 bas-reliefs depicting scenes from the ruler's life. The sculptures above the columns are Dacians (Thracian tribes), presumably taken from Trajan's Forum. Pairs of medallions 2 m in diameter depict scenes of the battle with Maxentius and the assault on the city. And at the base of the columns are reliefs depicting the goddess Victoria, as well as Roman soldiers defeating barbarians.

You will not be able to walk through the archways, as the monument is fenced off. But the impression is still amazing! There are only three such triumphal arches left in Rome, and the Arch of Constantine is the best preserved among them.