Rome's Ancient Arch of Constantine Has Been Struck By Lightning

During a storm on September 3, lightning struck Rome’s Arch of Constantine , chipping the structure’s marble surface. The 1,700-year-old arch and its neighbor, the Colosseum , were two of several sites affected by the thunderstorm, which produced 2.36 inches of rain in less than an hour, per CNN ’s Barbie Latza Nadeau. Usually, the city sees a similar amount over the entire month of September.

“A lightning strike hit the arch right here and then hit the corner,” a tourist at the site told Reuters ’ Alberto Lingria. “We saw this fly off,” the tourist added while pointing to a fallen block of stone.

Finished in 315 C.E., the Arch of Constantine is one of Rome’s three surviving ancient triumphal arches, each erected to honor a person or event. This arch commemorates Constantine I ’s 312 victory over the emperor Maxentius . That same year, Constantine devoted himself to Christianity —the first Roman ruler to do so.

Tuesday’s fierce storm also felled two large trees near the Circus Maximus, flooded the Trevi Fountain and flooded the Colosseum’s subterranean tunnels, reports CNN. After lightning struck the arch, staff of the Colosseum Archaeological Park quickly gathered its dislodged pieces and placed them in a secure location, according to a statement from Italy’s Ministry of Culture .

The next morning, archaeological staff photographed the damage and collected more fragments from the affected area, ensuring the arch would be safe for visitors, per the statement. Damage was limited to the monument’s southwestern top corner, which was already included in a planned restoration of the arch’s southern front, allowing for quick repairs.

At roughly 70 feet tall and 85 feet wide, the Arch of Constantine actually contains three separate aches, each framed by columns. The intricately decorated structure is adorned with recycled fragments, or spolia , taken from other ancient buildings, including monuments honoring Trajan , Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius .

The arch is also decorated with carvings of Constantine, including a series of reliefs depicting his victorious fight against Maxentius in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge .

In 306, Constantine was leading Roman troops in Britain—then part of the Roman Empire—when his military declared him their emperor. Around the same time, his brother-in-law, Maxentius, also declared himself the emperor. In 312, Constantine and his army invaded Rome, eventually facing off against Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge over the river Tiber. Panels on the Arch of Constantine depict the battle’s conclusion, showing Maxentius’ troops drowning in the river.

The arch’s recent encounter with lightning may have carried spiritual significance for its ancient builders. The Romans sometimes erected temples in places where lightning had struck, believing these sites to be sacred.