Column of Phocas

Column of Phocas

The Column of Phocas is located in the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy. It was built on August 1, 608 AD, to commemorate Phocas, the Byzantine Emperor. It is the last structure erected in the Roman Forum and resembles a 13.6-meter-high Corinthian column that stands on its square, cream-colored marble base. The brick square foundation was originally not visible; it was only in the 19th century that the surface of the Roman Forum was excavated down to the level of the earlier Augustan pavement.

Although Phocas formally donated the Pantheon to Pope Boniface IV, the exact reason for constructing this column remains unclear. The top of the Column of Phocas once featured a “dazzling” gilded statue of Phocas made by Smaragdus, the Exarch of Ravenna, though it may have existed for only a short time. The Column of Phocas was originally a column that had held a statue of the Roman Emperor Diocletian; later, that inscription was chiseled away to make space for the current carving.

The Column of Phocas still stands in its original location, isolated amid the ruins, towering over its surroundings and having endured for over a thousand years. It has become a landmark of the Roman Forum and frequently appears in cityscape paintings and engravings.

Column of Phocas

Must-visit reason: The most striking landmark in the Roman Forum

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Italy[Italy]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Lazio Region [Lazio Region]

City where the attraction is located: Rome [Rome]