Arch of Augustus (Aosta)

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Arch of Augustus in Aosta
The Arch of Augustus in a painting by Henry Seward (1807)

The Arch of Augustus in Aosta , the ancient Augusta Praetoria , is a one-gate arch of honor that dates back to 25 BC. In honor of Emperor Augustus on the occasion of the victory over the Salasser .

history

The arch of honor was made in 25 BC. Erected after the Roman general Aulus Terentius Varro Murena had defeated the Celtic tribe of the Salasser during the conquest in the western Alps and largely exterminated it. At the site of his camp that was Colonia Augusta Praetoria created. The arch was outside the Porta Praetoria , the main gate of the city. The road leading there passed under him.

A noble family lived in the arch in the 12th century. In 1318 it was expanded into a fortress where archers were stationed. In 1449 the cross was placed inside the arch, a votive offering to prevent flooding of the Buthier River. After this cross, the floor was named Saint-Vout , sacred arch. The current cross is a copy of the original that is in the Museo del tesoro della cattedrale di Aosta. In 1716 the original attic of the triumphal arch was replaced by a flat slate roof. The Arch of Augustus was renovated from 1912 to 1913. At that time, two gilded bronze letters were found during excavations near the arch, which probably originally belonged to an inscription on the attic.

See also

literature

  • Sandro De Maria: Gli archi onorari di Roma e dell'Italia romana. “L'Erma” di Bretschneider, Rome 1988, p. 229 f. No. 3.
  • Jean Prieur: Les arcs monumentaux dans les Alpes occidentales: Aoste, Suse, Aix-les-Bains. In: Hildegard Temporini (ed.): The rise and fall of the Roman world . Series II, Volume 12, 1. Walter de Gruyter, Berlin 1982, pp. 442-475, here: pp. 445-451.

Web links

Commons : Arch of Augustus in Aosta  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ L'arco onorario d'Augusto. Regione Autonoma Valle d'Aosta, accessed June 30, 2018 (Italian).
  2. ^ Arco d'Augusto. Guide Turistiche Valle d'Aosta, accessed June 30, 2018 (Italian).
  3. ^ Arch of Augustus

Coordinates: 45 ° 44 ′ 21.3 "  N , 7 ° 19 ′ 41.2"  E