Colonna Traiana
Colonna Traiana
4.5
Points of Interest & LandmarksMonuments & Statues
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The area

Address
Neighborhood: Campitelli
How to get there
  • Fori Imperiali-Colosseo • 10 min walk
  • Colosseo • 10 min walk
Reach out directly

See what travelers are saying

  • CPaM68
    Texas745 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    History in Stone
    The tall, round marble column was erected in 113 AD to commemorate Emperor Trajan's military battles and victories. It features detailed and intricate spiral carvings depicting the battles and daily life in ancient Roman times. This has helped provide valuable historical insights on Trajan's military campaigns and achievements during the 2nd century. The column is around 120 feet tall with a diameter of 12 feet and is hollow with a 185-step spiral staircase leading to a viewing platform at the top. A statue of Emperor Trajan was on the top of the column, but it disappeared in the Middle Ages. Pope Sixtus V (1587) had the column re-topped with a bronze figure of St. Peter. Amazing that something this old (near 2,000 years) has survived all of these years. (PaM)
    Visited May 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written February 13, 2024
  • Herbert C
    1,791 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A comic strip storying Trajan’s war exploits
    Erected in AD 113 to commemorate the Roman Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars, this freestanding triumphal column is a symbol of the imperial power of the Roman Empire. From a distance, the column looks just like any other ordinary commemorative monument, but look closely and you'll be amazed by the nearly 200 metres long frieze with 2600 intricately carved figures spiralling around the column shaft, creating 155 lively key scenes from the Dacia war campaigns. Rising on a sculptured pedestal to a height of 35 metres, this stone column is crowned with a bronze statue, originally that of Trajan but eventually replaced with St Peter. Unfortunately, you can only admire the monument with a binocular from Via dei Fuori Imperiali as climbing the column to the balcony is not possible for the public. The Trajan's Column has stood firm for more than 1900 years old and remains one of the best preserved monuments left to us from ancient Rome while it continues to tell its stories for posterity.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 25, 2024
  • Brad
    Hong Kong, China175,231 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Remarkable 2nd century victory column
    This is the 35-metre tall marble victory column located near Trajan's Forum area of popular Roman & Imperial Forum sightseeing area. The column was erected in 113 AD and is dedicated to Emperor Trajan in celebration of his military victories over Dacia (Romania) 101-103AD & 107-108AD. It features spiral relief of detailed battle scenes from those campaigns. The bronze of St. Peter was only added to the monument in 1587. It is an impressive victory column well worth spending a few minutes to enjoy while sightseeing in the area.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 23, 2024
  • BTS1972
    Munich, Germany3,589 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful details - a Must See
    The column has been build and erected on order of emporer Trajan to memorize his victory against the Darca in present day Bulgarai / Romania. The column is filled with wonderful details, telling the story of this campaign and ther aftermath. Luckily, the column is in excellent condition.
    Visited August 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written August 20, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,064 reviews
Excellent
587
Very good
398
Average
74
Poor
3
Terrible
2

Herbert C
1,791 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
Erected in AD 113 to commemorate the Roman Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars, this freestanding triumphal column is a symbol of the imperial power of the Roman Empire. From a distance, the column looks just like any other ordinary commemorative monument, but look closely and you'll be amazed by the nearly 200 metres long frieze with 2600 intricately carved figures spiralling around the column shaft, creating 155 lively key scenes from the Dacia war campaigns. Rising on a sculptured pedestal to a height of 35 metres, this stone column is crowned with a bronze statue, originally that of Trajan but eventually replaced with St Peter. Unfortunately, you can only admire the monument with a binocular from Via dei Fuori Imperiali as climbing the column to the balcony is not possible for the public. The Trajan's Column has stood firm for more than 1900 years old and remains one of the best preserved monuments left to us from ancient Rome while it continues to tell its stories for posterity.
Written March 25, 2024
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.

CPaM68
Texas745 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Family
The tall, round marble column was erected in 113 AD to commemorate Emperor Trajan's military battles and victories. It features detailed and intricate spiral carvings depicting the battles and daily life in ancient Roman times. This has helped provide valuable historical insights on Trajan's military campaigns and achievements during the 2nd century. The column is around 120 feet tall with a diameter of 12 feet and is hollow with a 185-step spiral staircase leading to a viewing platform at the top. A statue of Emperor Trajan was on the top of the column, but it disappeared in the Middle Ages. Pope Sixtus V (1587) had the column re-topped with a bronze figure of St. Peter. Amazing that something this old (near 2,000 years) has survived all of these years. (PaM)
Written February 13, 2024
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.

Skeney57
Sydney, Australia24,416 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
This triumphal column is dedicated to the Emperor Trajan and his victory over two campaigns against the Dacian Kingdom. It dates back to around 113AD and is 35m in height. The Romans finally conquered Dacia in 106AD which is modern day Romania and occupied it for centuries as part of the Roman Empire.
Written July 29, 2023
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.

BTS1972
Munich, Germany3,589 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • Couples
The column has been build and erected on order of emporer Trajan to memorize his victory against the Darca in present day Bulgarai / Romania. The column is filled with wonderful details, telling the story of this campaign and ther aftermath. Luckily, the column is in excellent condition.
Written August 20, 2024
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.

Brad
Hong Kong, China175,231 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
This is the 35-metre tall marble victory column located near Trajan's Forum area of popular Roman & Imperial Forum sightseeing area. The column was erected in 113 AD and is dedicated to Emperor Trajan in celebration of his military victories over Dacia (Romania) 101-103AD & 107-108AD. It features spiral relief of detailed battle scenes from those campaigns. The bronze of St. Peter was only added to the monument in 1587. It is an impressive victory column well worth spending a few minutes to enjoy while sightseeing in the area.
Written May 23, 2024
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.

Foodie_CST🍽🇷🇴
Kolios, Greece5,089 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Family
Very nicely preserved monument, this beautiful Column describes Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. I would say it's not to be missed while visiting Rome.
Written June 1, 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.

Alessandro F
Milan, Italy32,495 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019 • Solo
Inside the homonym forum this column stands up over the ruins, it was built in 113 AD to remember the conquest of Dacia ( do you remember Spartacus legend ? He came from this land )
It’s made by 20 colossal marble drums , each weighing about 32 tons.
The internal is hollow , a spiral staircase allows you to reach the top .
Written November 21, 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.

Mairwen1
United Kingdom11,173 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
This towering column, along with the surrounding forum, was built in 133AD to celebrate Emperor Trajan’s victory over the mighty barbarian empire of the Dacians (Romania today). The column stands opposite the Vittorio Emmanuele II Monument so you’ll pass right by it if you are walking towards the Colosseum.
The Dacian war was a mammoth affair and absorbed tens of thousands of Roman troops. The loot was equally massive and Roman troops captured around half a million pounds of gold and a million pounds of silver. That's a lot of loot by any standards and it’s no wonder they wanted to celebrate.
The column’s most interesting feature is the detailed scenes that wrap their way around the 38.5 metre high column in a spiral frieze. Altogether there are 155 scenes, with 2,662 figures and 58 portraits of Trajan. Details show Roman soldiers building forts and bridges, loading up packhorses with loot and presenting the emperor with severed enemy heads. Unfortunately it’s difficult to see the scenes from the barrier unless you have a zoom lens camera.
Interestingly, the statue at top is not who you'd expect it to be. During the 1500's a bronze statue of St Peter was placed at the top.
Written June 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.

AMohsen
Port Said, Egypt569 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This pillar is impressive by its helical stripes and fine details and prints. Another interesting matter is that another typical one is located in another place “Column of Marcus Aurelius” beside “Galleria Alberto Sordi mall”.
Written January 27, 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.

dapper777
Monaco65,898 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020
Emperor Trajan commissioned this monumental column with 155 scenes in the spiral frieze to commemorate his victory over the Dacians (modern-day Romanians). 
According to one account, Trajan's conquest brought in half a million pounds of gold and a million pounds of silver into the Roman empire. 
Written July 11, 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.

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Colonna Traiana - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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