Column of Marcus Aurelius

This ancient Roman victory column rises in the Piazza Colonna in central Rome, erected in the late second century to honour the emperor Marcus Aurelius. A continuous spiral relief winds up the marble shaft, depicting scenes from his campaigns against Germanic and Sarmatian tribes along the Danube. Modelled on Trajan's Column, it stands about 30 metres tall, and a bronze statue of Saint Paul was placed on its summit during the Renaissance. The square is flanked by government buildings.