Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Column of Marcus Aurelius contains a 200-step staircase

Column of Marcus Aurelius 8
Column of Marcus Aurelius 8, originally uploaded by mharrsch.
"The column [of Marcus Aurelius] is a direct imitation of that of Trajan, the height of shaft, torus, and capital being the same, 100 Roman feet (29.77 metres), but tapers less and therefore seems more massive. The shaft itself, 26.50 metres in height and 3.90 in diameter, is composed of 26 rings of Luna marble. It is hollow, and contains a spiral stairway with 200 steps. The interior is lighted by 56 rectangular loop-holes." - Lacus Curtius

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