A triumphal arch is a structure in the shape of a monumental archway, in theory built to celebrate a victory in war, actually used to celebrate a ruler. Invented by the Romans, the classical triumphal arch is a free-standing structure, quite separate from city gates or walls, but the form is often used in engaged arches as well. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crowned with a flat superstructure or attic on which a statue might be mounted or which bears commemorative inscriptions. In Classical architecture, the term attic refers to a story or low wall above the cornice of a classical Façade. The structure should be decorated with carvings, notably including "Victories", winged female figures (very similar to angels), a pair of which typically occupy the curved triangles beside the top of the arch curve. In Roman mythology, Victoria was the personification/Goddess of victory An angel is a Spiritual Supernatural being found in many Religions Although the nature of angels and the tasks given to them vary from tradition to tradition More elaborate triumphal arches have flanking subsidiary archways, typically a pair.
The rhythmic ABA motif—of central arched void flanked by smaller ones—was adapted in Classical architecture, particularly since the Renaissance, to articulate the walls of structures. The term Classical architecture has a specific Archaeological meaning relating to the architecture of Classical Greece The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere The voids may take the form of niches or be "blind", with masonry continuous behind. The niche in classical architecture is an Exedra or an Apse that has been reduced in size retaining the half-dome heading usual for an apse
Roman triumphal arches
The tradition dates back to ancient Rome and is connected to the Senate's custom of granting Roman triumphs. The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle also known as the Place de l'Étoile. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city The Arch of Constantine (Italian Arco di Costantino is a Triumphal arch in Rome, situated between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The India Gate is one of the largest War memorials in India. Situated in the heart of New Delhi, India Gate is prominent landmark in Delhi New Delhi (नई दिल्ली ਨਵੀਂ ਦਿੱਲੀ نئی دلی is the Capital city of India. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. A Roman triumph ( la [[wikttriumphus triumphus]], Old Latin la triumpus, attested as the exclamation la TRIVMPE in the Carmen Arvale; via Surprisingly little is known about how the Romans used triumphal arches; the only ancient author who discussed them was Pliny the Elder, writing in the first century AD. Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author They are not mentioned at all by Vitruvius, the first century BC writer on Roman architecture. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (born c 80–70 BC died after c 15 BC was a Roman Writer, Architect and Engineer (possibly praefectus fabrum Pliny describes them as being honorary monuments of unusual importance, erected to commemorate triumphs. By the second century arches were being erected to commemorate other events, such as the surviving triumphal arch at Ancona, erected by a grateful city to commemorate Trajan's improvements to the harbor. Ancona (Ankon is a city and a seaport in the Marche, a region of central Italy, population 101909 (2005 Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan ( September 18 53 &ndash August 9 117) was a Roman Emperor who
It is unclear when the Romans first began erecting triumphal arches. They originated some time during the Roman Republican era, during which time three were erected in Rome, the earliest being one to Lucius Stertinius built in 196 BC. The Roman Republic was the phase of the ancient Roman civilization characterized by a Republican form of government a period which began with the overthrow of the Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 These appear to have been temporary structures, and none now survive. Most triumphal arches were built during the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial By the fourth century, thirty-six triumphal arches can be traced in Rome. Only five now survive (see list below).
The arches of Rome became increasingly elaborate over the centuries. They were at first very simple symbolic temporary gateways to the city, being built of brick or stone with a semicircular arched heading and hung with trophies of captured arms. Later arches were built of high-quality marble with a large central arch in the middle, its ceiling treated as a barrel vault, and sometimes two smaller ones on each side, adorned with a complete Architectural order, of columns and entablature, enriched with symbolic or narrative bas-reliefs and crowned with bronze statues, often a quadriga. A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve (or pair of curves in the case A classical order is one of the ancient styles of building design in the classical tradition, distinguished by their proportions and their characteristic profiles and details A bas-relief (baʁəljɛf in French; French for "low relief" derived from the Italian basso rilievo) or low relief is a Sculpture SpecialContributions/ --> A quadriga ( Latin quadri-, four and jungere, to yoke is a car The festive Corinthian order was the usual one. The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman Architecture, characterized
Post-Roman triumphal arches
Triumphal arches in the Roman style were revived during the Renaissance, when there was a Europe-wide upswelling of interest in the art and architecture of ancient Rome. Gdańsk ( Polish pronunciation; 'Danzig', Gduńsk Gedania Dantiscum is the City at the centre of the fourth-largest Metropolitan area in Poland The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere Between the 15th and 19th century, kings and emperors erected numerous triumphal arches in conscious imitation of the Roman tradition. One of the earliest was the "Aragonese Arch" at the Castel Nuovo in Naples, erected by Alfonso V in 1443, although like the later Porta Capuana this was engaged as part of the entrance to the castle. Castel Nuovo (Italian "New Castle" often called Maschio Angioino, is a castle in the city of Naples, southern Italy. Naples ( Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is a historic City in southern Italy, the Capital of the Alfonso the Magnanimous (also Alphonso; Catalan: Alfons) (1396 &ndash 27 June 1458) was the King of Aragon (as Porta Capuana is an ancient City gate in Naples, southern Italy. Temporary examples were erected in enormous numbers for festivities such as Royal Entries from the late Middle Ages onwards. The Royal Entry, also known by various other names including Triumphal Entry and Joyous Entry, embraced the ceremonial and festivities accompanying a The Emperor Maximilian I commissioned the artist Albrecht Dürer to design an elaborately decorated monumental arch in woodcut for him (3. Albrecht Dürer (ˈalbʀɛçt ˈdyʀɐ ( May 21, 1471 &ndash April 6, 1528) was a German painter, Printmaker The Triumphal Arch (also known as the Arch of Maximilian I, in German: Ehrenpforte Maximilians I For the origins of the technique and non-artistic use see Woodblock printing; for the related technique invented in the 18th century see Wood engraving 75 metres high, in 192 different sheets), which was never intended to be built, but was printed in an edition of 700 copies and distributed to be coloured and pasted on the walls of large rooms. Louis XIV of France and Napoleon Bonaparte both erected arches to commemorate their military triumphs, most famously the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle also known as the Place de l'Étoile. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Arches were erected for similar purposes in the U.K., the United States, Germany, Romania, Russia and Spain, amongst other countries. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Built to honour and glorify President Kim Il Sung and modeled after the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang is the largest arch in the world. Kim Il-sung ( 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in early The Arc de Triomphe is a monument in Paris, France that stands in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle also known as the Place de l'Étoile. The Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang (개선문 was built to commemorate the Korean resistance to Japan from 1925 to 1945
Temporary triumphal arches are still constructed, intended to be used for a celebratory parade or ceremony and then be dismantled afterwards.
List of triumphal arches
For Roman ones only, see List of ancient Roman triumphal arches
Permanent monumental triumphal arches include:
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BulgariaChinaCroatiaCanada
France
GambiaGermany
GreeceHungary
India[edit] Iraq[edit] Ireland[edit] Italy
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Libya
LaosMoldova
Morocco
North KoreaPhilippines
PortugalRomaniaRussia
Spain
There are many similar monuments in Spain which were originally built as gates in city walls and therefore cannot be considered triumphal arches in any sense except in their resemblance. In Madrid there are the Puerta de Alcalá, Puerta de Toledo, Puerta de San Vicente, Puerta de Hierro, etc. Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. The Puerta de Alcalá ("Alcalá Gate" is a monument in the Plaza de la Independencia ("Independence Square" in Madrid, Spain, very close to the SyriaTurkey
UkraineUnited Kingdom
United States
Venezuela |
Line notes
- ^ "Leptis Magna". Burkittsville is a town in Frederick County, Maryland, United States. See Washington Square Park (disambiguation Washington Square Park is one of the best-known of New York City 's 1700 public The City of New York The National Memorial Arch is dedicated "to the officers and private soldiers of the Continental Army December 19 1777 June 19 1778" Valley Forge National Historical Park is the site where the Continental Army spent the winter of 1777&ndash1778 near Valley Forge Pennsylvania, during the Venezuela (ˌvɛnəˈzweɪlə) officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish República Bolivariana de Venezuela) is a country on the Caracas (kaˈɾakas is the Capital and largest city of Venezuela. Valencia is the capital city of Carabobo State, and the third largest city of Venezuela. Coro is the capital of Falcón State and the oldest city in the west of Venezuela Catholic Encyclopedia. (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company
- ^ C. Michael Hogan, Volubilis: Ancient settlement in Morocco, The Megalithic Portal, ed. Andy Burnham
- ^ Atlantic Poets: Fernando Pessoa's Turn in Anglo-American Modernism, Irene Ramalho Santos, Maria Irene Ramalho Sousa Santos
See also
Gallery
 The Arch of Constantine, Rome |
 The triumphal arch of Glanum |
 The Brandenburg Gate |
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 Puerta de Alcalá is a triumphal arch forming a monumental gateway to Madrid |
 Narva Triumphal Gates in Saint Petersburg |
 The triumphal arch erected to honor Hadrian who visitied Antalya in the 2nd century A. A city gate is a Gate which is or was set within a City wall. The Architecture of Ancient Rome adopted the external Greek architecture for their own purposes which were so different from Greek buildings as to create a new List of ancient Roman Triumphal arches (By modern country France Carpentras Triumphal Arch This is a list of Buildings and Nonbuilding structures. By type List of abbeys and priories List Marcus Ulpius Nerva Traianus, commonly known as Trajan ( September 18 53 &ndash August 9 117) was a Roman Emperor who Timgad ( Arabic تيمقاد, called Thamugas or Thamugadi by the Romans) was a Roman colonial town in North Africa Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The Moscow Triumphal Gate (Моско́вские Триумфа́льные воро́та Moskovskiye Triumfalnye vorota) is a Neoclassical Triumphal arch Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Madrid (pronounced in English in Spanish and colloquially in Spain) is the Capital and largest city of Spain. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Antalya (formerly known as Adalia; from Pamphylian Greek: Αττάλεια Attália) is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern D. |
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 The Thriumph Arch in Bucharest |
 The Soldiers and Sailors Arch at Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn, New York City |
 The Washington Square Arch, New York City |
 Triumfal arch, center of Chişinău |
 Arch of Hadrian in central Athens, with the Acropolis seen in the background. Bucharest ( Romanian: Bucureşti) is the Capital city, industrial and commercial centre of Romania. Brooklyn (named after the Dutch town Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. The City of New York See Washington Square Park (disambiguation Washington Square Park is one of the best-known of New York City 's 1700 public The City of New York Chişinău (kiʃi'nəw (also known as Kishinev, Кишинёв Kishinyov) is the capital and largest city of Moldova. The Arch of Hadrian is a monumental Gateway resembling – in some respects - a Roman Triumphal arch. Acropolis (Gr akros akron edge extremity + polis city pl acropoleis |
 The Arco do Triunfo in Lisbon |
 Red Gate in Moscow used to be a rare example of a baroque triumphal arch. Lisbon (Lisboa liʒˈboɐ is the Capital and largest city of Portugal. Red Gates ( Russian: Красные Ворота Krasnye Vorota) in Moscow was a Triumphal arch built in an exuberantly Baroque Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Baroque art redirects here Please disambiguate such links to Baroque painting, Baroque sculpture, etc |
 The triumphal arch in Orange, France |
 The Arc de Triomf in Barcelona |
 Arch 22 in Banjul, Gambia |
 The Gateway of India, Mumbai, India |
 The Patuxay in Vientiane, Laos. Orange ( Provençal Occitan: Aurenja in classical norm or Aurenjo in Mistralian norm norm is a town and commune in the Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia The Gateway of India (भारताचे प्रवेशद्वार is a Monument in Mumbai, India. Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Patuxai (literally Victory Gate or Gate of Triumph formerly the Anousavary or Anosavari Monument is a monument in the center of Vientiane, Laos built in Vientiane (vjɛnˈtjɑːn Lao ວຽງຈັນ Viang-chan) is the Capital city of Laos Laos (ˈlɑːoʊs or /ˈlaʊs/ officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a Landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma A triumphal arch built to commemorate soldiers who died fighting the French for independence. |
 Temporary triumphal arch commemorating election of Emilio Aguinaldo as President of the Philippines, 1899 |
 Royal Military College of Canada Memorial Arch in Kingston, Ontario |
,_Algeria_04966r.jpg/120px-Roman_Arch_of_Trajan_at_Thamugadi_(Timgad),_Algeria_04966r.jpg)
External links
- Lacus Curtius website: "Triumphal arch" from William Smith, A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, John Murray, London, 1875
- Signa Romanorum: the Roman monuments website
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