Arch of Augustus

About

The Arch of Augustus (in French Arc d'Auguste) is a monument in the city of Aosta, northern Italy. 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. 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) and from the eastern entrance of the city wall (the Porta Prætoria).

Description: Constructed from conglomerate, the arch has a single vault, with a height to the keystone of 11.4 metres (37 ft). Its span is a barrel vault, 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 capitals, while the entablature, 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...