Column of Marcus Aurelius

The Column of Marcus Aurelius rises 30 meters above Piazza Colonna in the heart of Rome, erected between 176 and 193 AD to honor the philosopher emperor and his victories over the Marcomanni and Sarmatians. The spiral relief winding up the shaft depicts the Danube campaigns across roughly 116 scenes, rendered with more expressive emotion than its model, Trajan's Column. A famous panel shows the so-called Rain Miracle, when a sudden storm saved thirsting Roman troops. In 1589 Pope Sixtus V replaced the original bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius with a figure of the Apostle Paul. The column still stands free on its ancient base, framed today by the Palazzo Chigi and the Galleria Alberto Sordi.