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Encyclopedia Ichnographica

Columna Cochlidos

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Columna Cochlidos

...columna M. Aurelii Antonini, which was also called columna cochlis and columna centenaria divi Marci, stood on the west side of the via Lata, opposite the campus Agrippae and was erected some time before 193 A.D. to commemorate the victories of Marcus Aurelius over the Dacians and Marcomani in 172-175 A.D.

It is a direct imitation of the column of Trajan, the height of shaft and capital being the same, 100 Roman feet. The shaft itself, 26.60 meters in height and 3.96 in diameter, is composed of twenty-six rings of Luna marble. It is hollow, and contains a spiral staircase of two hundred and three steps. The interior is lighted by fifty-six rectangular loopholes. The capital is of the Doric order, and was surmounted originally by statues of Marcus Aurelius and Faustina. These disappeared at some unknown date, and the present bronze status of St. Paul was erected by Sixtus V. The pedestal of the column is of great height, for a considerable part of it still rises above the present level of the ground, which in turn is 4.75 meters above the ancient travertine pavement.

The exterior of the column is adorned with reliefs, arranged on a spiral band which returns upon itself twenty-one times. These reliefs represent scenes in the campaigns of Aurelius and correspond to those on the column of Trajan, but are far inferior to them in execution, and have been much injured by fire and earthquake. The original reliefs of the pedestal were chiselled off by Sixtus V, who added the present marble decoration, some of which was taken from the Septizonium. (Platner)

Vincenzo Fasolo, "The Campo Marzio of G. B. Piranesi".
2691d
1956

24 December
2013.12.24 19:05

There are many instances where buildings delineated within the Ichnographia Campus Martius are presented together yet actually never existed at the same time. For example, the Amphitheatrum Statilii Tauri burned in the great fire of 64 A.D., and the Columna apotheoseos Antonini Pii (depicted just right of the amphitheater) was erected in 162, and the Columna Cochlidos (depicted left and just behind the amphitheater) was erected in 192.

Similarly, the T[emplum] Pietatis and the Theatrum Marcelli are delineated together within the Ichnographia, yet the temple of Pietas was destroyed by Augustus in order to make room for the theater of Marcellus.

Of more interest, however, is that Piranesi also omitted buildings that should have been delineated within the Ichnographia. While the Sepulchrum Honorij Imp., the mausoleum built by the emperor Honorius circa 400, is within the Ichnographia, the building that the mausoleum was in actuality attached to, the basilica of St. Peter built by the emperor Constantine circa 330, is not delineated within the Ichnographia.

To: James Adam
From: Robert Adam
Date: 13 September 1755
[I] got [Piranesi] to finish the whole of Rome and to publish it alone without joining it in a book whose principal dedication was to my Lord Charlemont, which made mine less regarded, whereas mine being sold separate all the world will purchase it and have no other name to detract from the honour of the intention.

Within the first volume of Le Antichità Romane are a series of plans of ancient Rome: baths of Titus, topographical map, barracks of Tiberius, baths of Caracalla, nymphaeum of Nero, baths of Diocletian, Forum Romanum, Capitoline Hill. When combined with the Ichnographia Campus Martius these plans constitute an almost complete plan of ancient Rome.

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