Lightning Damages Arch of Constantine in Rome Automatic translate

The gods of Olympus have struck! On Tuesday, September 3, in the afternoon, while a violent thunderstorm was raging over Rome, the Arch of Constantine (the largest of the three ancient triumphal arches remaining in the Italian capital, a marble treasure from the 4th century, located between the Colosseum and the Palatine, in the Selio district) was struck by lightning. Several fragments from the southwest corner of the upper part of the building fell to the ground, and astonished tourists began to pick them up.

"Our staff arrived on site immediately after the lightning strike. All the fragments were removed and placed in a safe place," a spokesman for the Colosseum Archaeological Park assured AFP the following day. They are currently being analyzed and restored.

Two days before the hurricane, restoration work began on the southern façade of the arch. While the lower part is entirely made of marble, the upper, attic part is made of brickwork covered with marble cladding, making it more fragile than the base.

Inspired by the magnificent triumphal arch of Septimius Severus (203 AD) in the Roman Forum, this 21 m high and 25 m wide monument, decorated with sculptural elements, was erected in 315 AD by the Roman Senate to commemorate the victory of Emperor Constantine over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 AD.