CHRISTIAN EMPEROR TOWERS OVER HOLY YEAR
The reconstruction of the colossal statue of the Roman Emperor Constantine is set to be one of the new attractions for Holy Year 2025. Presented to the press on the 7th February, the 13m-high, 3-ton statue has been erected in the gardens of the Villa Caffarelli on the Capitol Hill in the heart of Rome, on the spot that archaeologists believe was the site of the ancient Temple of Jupiter dominating the Roman Forum.
The statue has been recreated by integrating seven surviving fragments of the original sculpture of the emperor, using the latest digital technology to gauge the exact measurements and details of the original in its entirety, and was intended, with its superhuman proportions, to strike awe in the hearts of all citizens visiting the Forum.
Constantine was the first Roman emperor to recognize the Christian religion. His mother, Saint Helena, according to tradition, visited the Holy Land, and brought back the Holy Staircase at St. John Lateran, as well as several relics of the crucifixion, which are still venerated by the faithful.
M. STENHOUSE
Info: Tel. 060608 www.museicapitolini.org
