Rome
AA-2026-4B0E35
On the image
Ancient Romans built enormous commemorative columns to celebrate their military successes. Modern Romans, in the 1970s, placed political party signage directly onto buildings overlooking these same columns, demonstrating a subtle shift in what constituted a noteworthy achievement. Tourists would still visit, of course, to contemplate how much better things were when empires lasted longer than most political terms.
The Column of Marcus Aurelius, now topped with a statue of Saint Paul, stands as a reminder that even the most formidable pagan emperors eventually get superseded. The Italian Social Democratic Party, with its prominent banner, understood the value of prime real estate for visibility, placing their message squarely in the path of anyone visiting this historical plaza.
Parking was always a challenge in Rome, and the 1970s were no exception. Vehicles are arranged with a certain confident chaos around the base, suggesting that efficient urban planning was still a future concept, possibly to be implemented after the next election cycle.
The historian's note
The image depicts the Column of Marcus Aurelius in Piazza Colonna, Rome, Italy, during the 1970s. This colossal column, erected between 176 and 193 AD, commemorates the emperor Marcus Aurelius's victory in the Marcomannic Wars. Originally topped with a statue of Marcus Aurelius, it was replaced in 1589 by a bronze statue of Saint Paul under the commission of Pope Sixtus V.
Piazza Colonna is a significant public square in Rome, bordered by important historical buildings. Behind the column, the Palazzo Chigi is visible, which serves as the official residence and office of the Prime Minister of Italy. At the time of this photograph, the building also housed offices for various political parties, as indicated by the banner for the Partito Social Democratico Italiano (Italian Social Democratic Party).
Subjects & keywords — each links to a search
Visually related — by likeness
Column of Marcus Aurelius, Piazza Colonna, Rome, 1970s. 1970–1979. Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library, AA-2026-4B0E35. https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/column-of-marcus-aurelius-piazza-colonna-rome-1970s.
@misc{aaAA20264B0E35,
title = {Column of Marcus Aurelius, Piazza Colonna, Rome, 1970s},
year = {1970–1979},
howpublished = {Archive \& Atlas, Historical Image Library},
note = {Accession AA-2026-4B0E35},
url = {https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/column-of-marcus-aurelius-piazza-colonna-rome-1970s}
}TY - ART TI - Column of Marcus Aurelius, Piazza Colonna, Rome, 1970s PY - 1970–1979 PB - Archive & Atlas, Historical Image Library AN - AA-2026-4B0E35 UR - https://thearchive.archiveandatlas.com/library/column-of-marcus-aurelius-piazza-colonna-rome-1970s ER -
From the community
Identifications, corrections, and discussion from readers — reviewed by a librarian before appearing here.
Sign in to add an identification, correction, or comment.
No notes yet — be the first to add what you know about this image.