THE ROMAN COLONS - end of via appia
Marking the end of the Roman Via Appia (Unesco world heritage), this monument rises at the top of the famous Virgil Staircase, placed opposite the great and ancient natural port of Brindisi. The Via Appia, Appian way, was one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi.
made of marble
The remaining complete column is made out of marble and is 18.74 metres high. It is surmounted by a Corinthian capital decorated with some acanthus leaves and twelve half-length mythological figures. The four main figures represent the alternate male and female marine deities such as Neptune and Jupiter. And perhaps the figures of Juno and Intride (but it could also be Mars and Minerva , or Amphitrite and Teti). The other eight figures on the corners are Tritons, playing instruments made of marine shells.
nice to know
Originally there where two columns at the end of Via Appia. Unfortunately the second one collapsed to the ground in the year 1528 and the column fragments, remained unattended for a long time. However in 1657 they were donated to the nearby city of Lecce, for the construction of a monument in honour of St. Orontius, who had saved the Salentine Peninsula from a epidemic plague.
On the right side of the square, looking towards the sea, there are the remains of the house, where the great Latin poet Virgil stayed and died in 19 B.C. His statue can be found nearby in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II.
dismantled several times
During the Second World War the Brindisi column was dismantled to avoid collapses or damage caused by the terrible bombings suffered by the city. In the period 1996 -2002 the column was dismantled again into its component parts and completely restored, while several interesting archaeological surveys were carried out in the surrounding square. After reassembly, the original capital is now displayed in the main hall in Granafei-Nervegna Palace in Brindisi; in its place a copy has been placed on the column.
how to get there
The Colonne Romane are located in the heart of the historic city center and are best accessible on foot during a city walk. The area is publicly accessible.
