The Arch of Constantine (Italian: Arco di Costantino) is a triumphal arch in Rome dedicated to the emperor Constantine the Great. The arch was commissioned by the Roman Senate to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312. Situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill, the arch spans the Via Triumphalis, the route taken by victorious military leaders when they entered the city in a triumphal procession. [a] Dedicated in 315, it is the largest Roman triumphal arch, with overall dimensions of 21 m (69 ft) high, 25.9 m (85 ft) wide and 7.4 m (24 ft) deep.[1] It has three bays, the central one being 11.5 m (38 ft) high and 6.5 m (21 ft) wide and the laterals 7.4 m (24 ft) by 3.4 m (11 ft) each. The arch is constructed of brick-faced concrete covered in marble.
The three bay design with detached columns was first used for the Arch of Septimius Severus in the Roman Forum (which stands at the end of the triumph route) and repeated in several other arches now lost.
Though dedicated to Constantine, much of the sculptural decoration consists of reliefs and statues removed from earlier triumphal monuments dedicated to Trajan (98–117), Hadrian (117–138) and Marcus Aurelius (161–180), with the portrait heads replaced with his own.[2]
The arch, which was constructed between 312 and 315, was dedicated by the Senate to commemorate ten years (a decennia[b]) of Constantine's reign (306–337) and his victory over the then reigning emperor Maxentius (306–312) at the Battle of Milvian Bridge on 28 October 312,[4] as described on its attic inscription,[5] and officially opened on 25 July 315. Not only did the Roman senate give the arch for Constantine's victory, they also were celebrating decennalia: a series of games that happened every decade during the Roman Empire. On these occasions they also said many prayers and renewed both spiritual and mundane vows.[6] However, Constantine had actually entered Rome on 29 October 312, amidst great rejoicing, and the Senate then commissioned the monument.[7] Constantine then left Rome within two months and did not return until 326.[8]
During the Middle Ages, the Arch of Constantine was incorporated into one of the family strongholds of ancient Rome, as shown in the painting by Herman van Swanevelt, here. Works of restoration were first carried out in the 18th century,[11][c] the last excavations have taken place in the late 1990s, just before the Great Jubilee of 2000. The arch served as the finish line for the marathon athletic event for the 1960 Summer Olympics.
En el camino que conduce a Vézelay, la Cruz Montjoie simboliza la alegría del peregrino que ve, por primera vez, la basílica de Santa María Magdalena, siendo el punto desde el que por vez primera se divisa Santa Magdalena de Vézelay.
Construida en 1037 por Geoffroy, abad de Vézelay, que la dedicó al culto de María Magdalena, la villa se convirtió, rápidamente, en un lugar de peregrinación. La reputación de la abadía da paso a la prosperidad del pueblo contribuyendo a su desarrollo. Peregrinos como el duque de Borgoña, Hugo II y su corte, en 1084; o Bernardo de Claraval (San Bernardo) que acudió, en 1146, a predicar la segunda cruzada; también Felipe Augusto y Ricardo Corazón de León visitaron la abadía en 1191 antes de partir para la tercera cruzada; o Luis IX de Francia, en 1248, convirtieron a Vézelay en una villa que atrajo a innumerables peregrinos. En el año 1096, el abad Artaud dio comienzo a una ampliación de la abadía. Se construyeron un crucero y un coro. Las obras duraron hasta el año 1104 y sólo se conserva la nave.
En julio de 1120, la víspera de santa la estructura de la abadía se incendió y se derrumbó (causando la muerte de 1127 personas). Se construyó una nueva nave, la obra se acabó en 1138. En 1185 se empezó la construcción de un nuevo coro y un crucero de estilo gótico. En 1217 se instalaron en la abadía los franciscanos. Empezó el declive de la misma al encontrarse en Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume nuevas reliquias de santa María Magdalena. En el año 1537 la abadía se secularizó y los monjes fueron sustituidos por canónigos. En el año 1790 la abadía de María Magdalena pasó a ser una simple iglesia parroquial y, posteriormente (1796), se vendió como un bien nacional.
En 1840 se encargó la restauración del edificio original, a fin de salvarlo de la ruina, a Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, tras la inspección llevada a cabo por Prosper Mérimée. La abadía había sufrido graves daños durante las actividades de saqueo llevado a cabo por los hugonotes en 1569; las esculturas del tímpano habían sido golpeadas (1793) y, en 1819, un rayo había caído sobre la torre de San Miguel destruyéndola. La restauración concluyó en 1876, se reintegraron las reliquias de Santa María Magdalena y se restableció la peregrinación que sería paralizada, nuevamente, en 1919.
En 1920 se le otorgó, a la abadía, el rango de basílica y el peregrinaje volvió a recomenzar. Finalmente, en 1979, la basílica y la colina de Vézelay fueron declaradas Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la Unesco. Fue elegida por el chelista Mstislav Rostropóvich para la grabación en video de su interpretación de las seis suites de Johann Sebastian Bach para violonchelo solo en 1991.
The church of Santa Mariá Magdalena was one of the first of 12 churches Fernando III built after conquering Córdoba in 1236. Located in the prosperous neighbourhood of La Magdelena east of the city centre, it served as a model for later churches. It combines the Romanesque, Gothic and Mudejar styles of architecture. The main entrance is at the west end of the church below a rose window. The side door on the south side, the oldest in Córdoba, presents an alfiz with decorations of pointed diamonds. The 17th-century tower consists of sections which become narrower towards the top.[2]
While there is little documentary evidence of the history of the church, it is known that its construction was well advanced by the end of the 13th century. Over the years, the building has undergone several transformations. The sacristy is an addition from the early 16th century while plastered ceiling vaults were added in the 18th century, covering the medieval woodwork until they were recently removed.[3]
In 1990, the church was seriously damaged by fire. Thereafter it was no longer used as a church and was deconsecrated. Now owned by the Cajasur bank, it is a venue for concerts and other cultural events.[3]
Santa Maria Magdalena (St Mary Magdalene Church) is church in Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain, built Fernando III in Mudejar style . It forms part of Historic centre of Cordoba, UNESCO World