Lightning strikes Arch of Constantine, raining marble fragments

He Arch of Constantinewhich still stands imposingly today on the Colosseum square, is one of the main monuments of the time of the Ancient Rome that survive almost intact in the Eternal City. But this Tuesday, the triumphal arch erected by order of the Senate in the year 315 to celebrate the decade in power of the first emperor to embrace Christianity was damaged by a strong storm that shook the Italian capital. If it were the 4th century, its inhabitants would surely have interpreted it as a bad omen linked to the fury of the gods.

In a statement sent to Reuters, the Colosseum Archaeological Park confirmed that the structure had been hit by a lightning bolt that dislodged several fragments of marbleThe Arch of Constantine was struck by lightning on its south facade, precisely where scaffolding had been installed for two days to carry out some conservation workwhich will now focus on repairing storm damage and reintegrating losses.

“All the fragments have been recovered and securedDamage assessments are already underway and analysis will continue tomorrow morning. [en relación a este miércoles]”, said officials at the Colosseum archaeological park. According to a witness account collected by Reuters, “a trail fell right on the arch and we saw pieces flying.”

“The Romans were very careful about interpreting the meaning of lightning. There was what was called bronchoscopy schedules “This indicated the different meanings that a lightning strike had each day of the year and in different places,” explained archaeologist Néstor F. Marqués, director of Antigua Roma al Día, on his social networks. “Even on some occasions it was considered something positive, the fall of lightning on structures or statues was a bad omen that had to be atoned for with offerings to the gods.

The very powerful waterspout that shook the historic centre of Rome caused the recording of more than 80 mm of rain per square metre in just one hour, according to the same amount as a fall monthin addition to reaching wind gusts of 90 kilometers per hour, as reported by the city hall. In addition to the damage caused to the Arch of Constantine, several streets were flooded and the metro was forced to close several stations.

“The event that hit Rome is unprecedented, because it was very powerful and concentrated in a very short time and in certain areas of the city, starting with the historic center,” said the mayor. Roberto Gualtieriafter the meeting called Tuesday night with local police and Civil Protection officials, among others. The mayor explained that the storm, which caused landslides and fallen trees, required “more than 400 very rapid and effective interventions to help citizens and traffic” and that the damage was minimized “by our climate adaptation plan and the many actions it identified and implemented.”