Column of Marcus Aurelius
Column of Marcus Aurelius
4
About
Erected between 180 and 196, this marble monument celebrates the victories of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, which is in the form of a spiral with 190 internal steps.
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Column of Marcus Aurelius
The area
Address
Neighborhood: Colonna
Frantic fashionistas, pedicured politicos, goal-oriented tourists, and on-the-go locals cross paths every day in Colonna, a delightful chaos in the very center of the city. Even though it has some of the city’s loveliest sites—a 2nd century column, Belle Epoque shopping center, and a magnificent Baroque parliament building—Colonna is not just another pretty face, but the cosmopolitan eye of Rome’s cultural storm. Colonna can safely say it has the best of Rome: museums, boutiques, window displays, restaurants, cafes, and people watching.
How to get there
- Spagna • 9 min walk
- Barberini - Fontana di Trevi • 10 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
7,172 within 3 miles
Attractions
2,258 within 6 miles
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
486 reviews
Excellent
181
Very good
240
Average
64
Poor
1
Terrible
0
Malgorzata
12,113 contributions
May 2019
A beautiful and impressive column from the second century AD, placed in the middle of the square of the same name, entirely carved in reliefs that tell about the military victories of Marcus Aurelius. Statue on the summit depicting Saint Paul the Apostle was set in the 16th century at the behest of Pope Sixtus V. A height of 42 meters with a pedestal tells about the emperor's achievements and victories . If we take a look on the main part of column we can see many fascinating reliefs of glorious roman legionaries and their victories. Highly recommended for visiting.
Written February 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily Mc
London, UK461 contributions
Jan 2020
The column itself is a victory column built in honour of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius as he had led a successful military campaign against the Quadi, to which the army crossed the Danube River. The column currently stands at nearly 40 metres, with 7 metres still remaining underground as it’s yet to be excavated. The interior of The Column of Marcus Aurelius was accessible through a doorway at the base to which is then met with a spiral staircase which then leads to the upper viewing platform, which is currently closed to the public. However, this stairway is illuminated through the narrow slits running up the side of the column which allowed sunlight to come through during the day.
The exterior of the column is simply breathtaking with relief carvings narrating the campaigns that Marcus Aurelius led. Our tour guide explained that the story began with the River Danube and then features the emperor addressing his troops. In total there are 21 spirals which contain these relief carvings which itself emphasise the leadership and authority that Marcus Aurelius once had.
The exterior of the column is simply breathtaking with relief carvings narrating the campaigns that Marcus Aurelius led. Our tour guide explained that the story began with the River Danube and then features the emperor addressing his troops. In total there are 21 spirals which contain these relief carvings which itself emphasise the leadership and authority that Marcus Aurelius once had.
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dapper777
Monaco32,615 contributions
Jan 2021 • Friends
Spectacular but a little overlooked.
The column of Marcus Aurelius was erected between 176 and 192 to celebrate, perhaps after his death, the victories of the Roman emperor.
This column, about 30 meters high, 42 if you also consider the base, has been located in the heart of the historic Roman center right from the start.
The beautiful and imposing column of the 2nd century AD, positioned in the center of the homonymous square, is carved with bas-reliefs that tell the military victories and the exploits of the emperor Marcus Aurelius against the Germanic peoples through a succession of sculptures and reliefs that unroll in a spiral like a rolled parchment for its entire height.
At the top of the column is the statue of St. Paul placed by Pope Sixtus V.
Spectacular. Beautiful and imposing like the Trajan's Column.
In addition, it also has the solemn scenery of the buildings of the institutions and the Chigi palace which is the Office of the Italian Prime Minister.
The column of Marcus Aurelius was erected between 176 and 192 to celebrate, perhaps after his death, the victories of the Roman emperor.
This column, about 30 meters high, 42 if you also consider the base, has been located in the heart of the historic Roman center right from the start.
The beautiful and imposing column of the 2nd century AD, positioned in the center of the homonymous square, is carved with bas-reliefs that tell the military victories and the exploits of the emperor Marcus Aurelius against the Germanic peoples through a succession of sculptures and reliefs that unroll in a spiral like a rolled parchment for its entire height.
At the top of the column is the statue of St. Paul placed by Pope Sixtus V.
Spectacular. Beautiful and imposing like the Trajan's Column.
In addition, it also has the solemn scenery of the buildings of the institutions and the Chigi palace which is the Office of the Italian Prime Minister.
Written February 24, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
backpacker31
Boynton Beach, FL5,499 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
It’s probably best to bring your history books here so you can follow the spiral relief carvings which depict the wars waged by Marcus Aurelius from 166-180AD. The Carrara marble carvings are incredible - highly stylized and if you happen to have a pair of binoculars, bring them to really appreciate the fine craftsmanship. The bronze statue of St. Paul that sits atop the column was added almost 1500 years later. It is located about midway between Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon just off Via del Corso.
Written February 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MarcusHurley
Calne, UK9,534 contributions
Feb 2022
Our next stop was a short walk away - Marcus Aurelius's Column - in a cordoned off square. This was another amazingly detailed column that the emperors used to celebrate a particular campaign and they are now useful to historians to see what the Roman military and it's enemies looked like in a particular time period. The square had a military guard so I'm not sure what else was there.
Written February 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lance H
Boerne, TX1,280 contributions
Dec 2019
While the plaza is nothing special, the detail on the column itself is great. History is told in relief as you wind around the column. I won;t pretend I could see and understand everything I was looking at, but as a Marcus Aurelius fan, I had to see this.
Written March 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mairwen1
United Kingdom9,332 contributions
Jun 2022
This is one huge column and was designed to celebrate Marcus Aurelius’ successes in the north.
He was not exactly being humble in victory. The Doric style column, reaches almost 40m high and dominates the piazza on Via Del Corso.
It was an incredible feat of construction. Twenty eight separate blocks of Carrara marble were stacked on top of each other to construct the column which was held together with metal dowels and secured by pouring molten lead down shafts in the stone.
Each block had first been hollowed out to allow for a stairway through the middle which would access the platform at the top.
The most interesting part is the spiral picture relief that runs up and around the column’s shaft, telling the story of Marcus Aurelius’ military campaigns in the north against the Germans and Sarmatians in Hungary.
The carvings are highly detailed. You can easily see lots of horses and soldiers but it’s hard to pick out specific scenes because it’s so tall.
I found the easiest way to see any detail was to take a few photos and enlarge them. In this way, we could make out several different scenes. The story starts at the bottom and we could see the Roman army crossing the Danube in solid looking row boats. We could also pick out a scene that showed the soldiers grouping together and holding their shields to form a wall or "testudo" to deflect weapons and fire thrown down from the enemy above (this was about half way up). Below them, a bearded Marcus Aurelius is standing on a platform addressing his army (see attached photo).
Originally there was a statue of Marcus Aurelius at the top but he was knocked off his perch when Christianity became the dominant religion. A bronze statue of the apostle, St Paul replaced him.
The column is located along the busy main road, Via del Corso. It’s only a 10 minute walk to the very similar Trajan’s Column at the forums.
He was not exactly being humble in victory. The Doric style column, reaches almost 40m high and dominates the piazza on Via Del Corso.
It was an incredible feat of construction. Twenty eight separate blocks of Carrara marble were stacked on top of each other to construct the column which was held together with metal dowels and secured by pouring molten lead down shafts in the stone.
Each block had first been hollowed out to allow for a stairway through the middle which would access the platform at the top.
The most interesting part is the spiral picture relief that runs up and around the column’s shaft, telling the story of Marcus Aurelius’ military campaigns in the north against the Germans and Sarmatians in Hungary.
The carvings are highly detailed. You can easily see lots of horses and soldiers but it’s hard to pick out specific scenes because it’s so tall.
I found the easiest way to see any detail was to take a few photos and enlarge them. In this way, we could make out several different scenes. The story starts at the bottom and we could see the Roman army crossing the Danube in solid looking row boats. We could also pick out a scene that showed the soldiers grouping together and holding their shields to form a wall or "testudo" to deflect weapons and fire thrown down from the enemy above (this was about half way up). Below them, a bearded Marcus Aurelius is standing on a platform addressing his army (see attached photo).
Originally there was a statue of Marcus Aurelius at the top but he was knocked off his perch when Christianity became the dominant religion. A bronze statue of the apostle, St Paul replaced him.
The column is located along the busy main road, Via del Corso. It’s only a 10 minute walk to the very similar Trajan’s Column at the forums.
Written July 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ljubica B
London, UK5,064 contributions
Sep 2019 • Solo
This place is one of the less visited in Roma but I adore it.... the column is simple magnificent.
I wish I’m available to describe all the prints in the column.
This is a perfect square to seat and relax
Entrance free
I wish I’m available to describe all the prints in the column.
This is a perfect square to seat and relax
Entrance free
Written September 15, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AllanJGJ
Wellington, New Zealand3,824 contributions
Oct 2019
This 30 metre high pictorial history of the triumphs of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius is in magnificent condition. Sadly the man himself was dead before it was completed in 193 and even more sadly his statue which probably sat on the top is long missing and has been replaced by, yet another, statue of St Peter. The column is made up of almost 30 chunks of four meter wide carrara marble and, amazingly, the centres of these mammoth circular blocks were hollowed out at the quarry to allow stairs to be built inside. Unfortunately it is no longer possible to ascend the column but it is still worth walking around it and checking out the high-quality carvings. From the perspective of historians it provides a wonderful information on such things as weapons and armour, but for the non-experts amongst us it still provides a wonderfully vivid series of images of the roman army in action at the end of the second century. Brilliant.
Written October 30, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MrMrsHappyR
Liverpool, UK1,158 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We just came across this on the way to Piazza Navona and wow what an amazing structure. The detail in the thousands of figures on the statue are amazing. This is really well worth seeing.
Written February 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No questions have been asked about this experience
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingColumn of Marcus Aurelius - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Column of Marcus Aurelius
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Column of Marcus Aurelius:
- Explore Rome with an Archaeologist: Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona (From $158.46)
- Best of Rome Walking Tour: Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Trevi Fountain (From $32.25)
- Private Tour of Rome's Historic Center (From $210.72)
- Spanish Steps, Trevi, Pantheon & Piazza Navona Private Tour for Kids & Families (From $221.28)
- Rome Highlights Private Tour for Kids & Families w Trevi Pantheon (From $242.87)
- Hotels near Column of Marcus Aurelius:
- (0.01 mi) Princess Trevi - Roman holiday
- (0.02 mi) Amazing Attic with Terrace at Trevi Fountain
- (0.03 mi) ELEGANT APARTMENT IN THE HISTORICAL CENTRE OF ROME
- (0.03 mi) Palazzo Ferrajoli
- (0.03 mi) Prestigious apartment with view on Piazza Venezia || Piazza Venezia View Luxury
- Restaurants near Column of Marcus Aurelius:
- (0.01 mi) Quadro Pizzetterie
- (0.03 mi) Caffetteria Ferrieri - Pasticceria Siciliana
- (0.04 mi) Caffe Di Noto - Gelateria, Pasticceria
- (0.10 mi) Godo Dal 1661
- (0.09 mi) Pane e Salame
Column of Marcus Aurelius Information
Excellent Reviews | 181 |
|---|---|
Very Good Reviews | 240 |
Column of Marcus Aurelius Photos | 502 |