Two Monuments, One Image

Almost no photograph of Rome includes just one of them: the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine appear together in the imagination of anyone who has ever heard of the city. Yet the two buildings belong to different eras, were built for different reasons, and for almost three centuries did not exist simultaneously.

The Colosseum was inaugurated in 80 AD under Emperor Titus; the Arch of Constantine was erected in 315 AD, more than two hundred and thirty years later. The Colosseum is a building for mass spectacle; the Arch is a celebratory monument. The Colosseum was the centre of the Empire's entertainment system; the Arch marks the political and religious transformation that would lead to the end of that Empire in its original form.

Their physical proximity — approximately 45 metres between the two structures — is not accidental: both occupy the edge of the Roman Forum, in the most representatively charged zone of the ancient centre. But their modern photographic juxtaposition is partly a result of chance and partly of changes in the urban topography over the centuries.

The Colosseum in the Context of the Via Sacra

The Colosseum stood at the eastern end of the Via Sacra, the processional road crossing the heart of the Roman Forum. Its position was not neutral: anyone leaving the Palatine or the Capitol heading east saw the amphitheatre rising as a natural focal point.

The construction of the Colosseum occupied the site of the artificial lake of Nero's Domus Aurea — a politically eloquent choice: the Flavians were returning to the Roman people a space that Nero had privatised. The lake was drained, the area reclaimed, and on it rose the greatest amphitheatre ever built.

The road leading to the amphitheatre was flanked by other monuments: the Temple of Venus and Rome to the north, the Meta Sudans (a large circular fountain, later demolished under Mussolini), the barracks of the vigiles. The Colosseum was not an isolated building but the terminal point of a monumental system.

The Arch of Constantine: An Anatomy of Reuse

The Arch of Constantine was erected by the Roman Senate to celebrate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge (312 AD). It is the largest triumphal arch surviving from antiquity, and one of the most studied examples of spolia — the reuse of architectural and sculptural elements from earlier buildings or monuments.

The Structure

The arch has three bays (three openings), stands 21 metres high, and is 25.9 metres wide. The load-bearing structure in white marble is Constantinian construction, but much of the sculptural decoration was taken from earlier monuments:

  • From Trajan's Dacian complex: eight statues of captured Dacians crowning the columns
  • From a frieze of Marcus Aurelius (163–173 AD): eight reliefs in the panels above the side openings, depicting scenes of hunting, sacrifice and triumph
  • From the frieze of Hadrian (117–138 AD): the four Hadrianic roundels — circular medallions with scenes of boar hunting, bear hunting, lion hunting, and sacrifices
  • From Trajan's reliefs: fragments of the frieze from Trajan's Forum

These are supplemented by reliefs of Constantinian production, easily recognisable by their flatter, more schematic style compared to the plasticity of Antonine and Hadrianic pieces. The Arch is thus, literally, an anthology of four centuries of Roman imperial sculpture.

Why the Reuse?

The question of Constantinian spolia has been debated by art historians for centuries. The three main interpretations are:

  1. Pragmatism: in 313–315 AD, Rome was undergoing economic and demographic transformation. Producing new sculptures of the highest quality required available workshops and masters — reuse was faster and guaranteed quality.
  1. Legitimisation: associating Constantine's image with Trajan (the "best of emperors"), Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius was an explicit political message: the new emperor placed himself within the great tradition of the Roman principate.
  1. Intentional continuity: some scholars read the reuse as an ideological assertion — Constantine gathers the Empire's inheritance and continues it.

The Visual Dialogue Between Arch and Colosseum

The position of the Arch relative to the Colosseum was not chosen by chance. The monument stands on the axis of the Via Triumphalis, the road travelled by generals in triumph from the Circus Maximus towards the Capitol. Those marching in triumph passed under the Arch with the Colosseum in the background — a deliberate scenic effect.

Today this visual axis is still perceptible: from the Via Sacra heading east, the Arch stands silhouetted against the ellipse of the Colosseum. The architects of the Constantinian project had probably calculated this perspective. The Colosseum, already 235 years old in 315 AD, was still functioning and constituted the most powerful natural backdrop the city could offer.

Medieval and Renaissance Use

In the Middle Ages, both monuments suffered similar fates: used as building material, partially dismantled, reinterpreted through Christian narratives.

The Colosseum became a quarry of travertine for the construction of Palazzo Venezia, the Cancelleria, and parts of the Basilica of Saint Peter. The Arch of Constantine remained more intact — its position in the quadrant of the Via Triumphalis made it less exposed to systematic dismantling — and was incorporated into the medieval fortifications of the Frangipane family.

The first systematic survey of the Arch dates to 1435, carried out by Ciriaco d'Ancona. In the course of the sixteenth century, the Arch was studied and drawn by all the major architects of the Renaissance: Palladio measured it precisely in his Descrittione de le chiese (1554), identifying in the three superimposed orders (Doric, Corinthian, Composite) a direct compositional model.

How to Visit Them

The ideal order for visiting both monuments in half a day:

1. Colosseum (early morning, 08:45–10:30) Arrive at opening for the light and calm. Visit the arena and first/second level. Dedicate at least 30 minutes to the permanent exhibition if you want to understand the context of the spectacles.

2. Arch of Constantine (45 minutes, 10:30–11:15) Exit through the main entrance of the Colosseum (west side) and reach the Arch on foot in under 2 minutes. Walk around all four sides: the Trajanic friezes, the Hadrianic roundels, the Constantinian reliefs. Look for the stylistic differences between the different periods.

3. Roman Forum from the eastern side (11:15–13:00) From the back of the Arch, the Via Sacra opens toward the Forum. The Colosseum ticket includes access to the Roman Forum: continue toward the Temple of Antoninus and Faustina, the Temple of Caesar, the Basilica Julia.

What to Look For on the Arch

The main elements to read on the monument:

  • North side (toward the Colosseum): the Constantinian frieze of the long battle
  • South side (toward the Caelian Hill): the distribution of money to the people (liberalitas)
  • Hadrianic roundels (above the side bays): the four hunting scenes with Hadrian's face reworked to become Constantine
  • Dedicatory inscription at the centre: the controversial formula instinctu divinitatis — "by divine inspiration" — without explicitly naming Christ, revealing Constantine's religious ambiguity at the time of the dedication

The Meta Sudans: The Monument That No Longer Exists

Between the Arch and the Colosseum stood a third element of the monumental system: the Meta Sudans, a circular fountain 17 metres tall built under Domitian (81–96 AD) and surviving until 1936, when it was demolished to make way for the road roundabout designed for Hitler's visit to Rome.

The base of the Meta Sudans is still visible in the area between the Arch and the Colosseum. Its original presence had a precise topographical function: it marked the boundary between four of the Augustan Regions of the city — a cardinal point of the Roman urban system.

Visiting Them After a Long History of Images

The Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine are the most photographed monuments in Rome — but seeing them close up, understanding the dialogue they establish in space, is an experience no photograph conveys. Arrive with your NCC driver and devote yourself to the itinerary without logistical stress. Service from €49. → Book your driver at myromedriver.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you visit the inside of the Arch of Constantine? No. The Arch of Constantine cannot be visited inside: it is a solid monument, not a building with interior spaces accessible to the public. You can walk freely around the exterior without a ticket.

What is the distance between the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine? Approximately 45 metres separate the two structures. On foot this takes under 2 minutes. They are essentially adjacent — no means of transport is needed to move from one to the other.

Why is the Arch of Constantine so well preserved compared to other Roman arches? Several factors contribute: its peripheral position relative to the axes of medieval dismantling, its incorporation into the Frangipane fortresses, and the relative structural stability of the marble used. The Arch of Septimius Severus in the Forum and the Arch of Titus on the Via Sacra have comparable preservation conditions.

Does the inscription on the Arch identify Constantine as a Christian? No. The inscription uses the formula instinctu divinitatis mentisque magnitudine — "by divine inspiration and greatness of mind." The ambiguity is deliberate: in 315 AD Constantine governed an empire still largely pagan and preferred not to alienate that constituency.

What is the best time to photograph both monuments together? Golden hour at sunset (from the west), which bathes both structures in orange–pink light, is the preferred condition for photographers. From the opposite direction, dawn illuminates the Colosseum from the east with cooler light. For the Arch–Colosseum axis, positioning yourself to the west along the Via Sacra with a telephoto lens (70–100 mm) compresses the distances and frames both monuments in the same shot.

Article n. 18 — TIER S — MON-01 Colosseum Type: HISTORY Words: ~2,400

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