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Arch of Titus

July 29, 2009 - By 
Attribution:

j.labrado

Rome
Italy
Key Dates

Constructed towards the end of the first century AD, the Arch of Titus was built to commemorate the sack of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

Key People

Emperor Domitian commissioned the arch after the death of his brother Titus, who ruled from 79-81 AD.

The model for many of the triumphal arches built since the Renaissance, the Arch of Titus is made of Pentelic marble and has a single arch. It stands at 15.m high and 13.5m wide and straddles the Via Sacra to the south-east of the forum. The panels on the arch display scenes commemorating the victory of Titus and his father Vespasian over the jews. It is the only monument in Rome to show artifacts from the temple in Jerusalem.

The arch was turned into a fortified tower by the Frangipani family in the 14th century.