Emperor Marcus Aurelius
Piazza del Campidoglio
Rome Italy
2016
by Jennifer

The horse, man's noblest companion

QUOTE: For the LOVE of Horses


Palazzo Senatorio and copy of the statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The original is inside Palazzo dei Conservatori.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equestrian_Statue_of_Marcus_Aurelius

The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius is an ancient Roman equestrian statue on the Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy. It is made of bronze and stands 4.24 m tall. Although the emperor is mounted, the sculpture otherwise exhibits many similarities to standing statues of Augustus. The original is on display in the Capitoline Museums, with the sculpture now standing in the open air at the Piazza del Campidoglio being a replica made in 1981 when the original was taken down for restoration.

The overall theme is one of power and divine grandeur: the emperor is over life-size and extends his hand in a gesture of adlocutio used by emperors when addressing their troops. Some historians assert that a conquered enemy was originally part of the sculpture (based on medieval accounts, including in the Mirabilia Urbis Romae, which suggest that a small figure of a bound barbarian chieftain once cowered underneath the horse's front right leg). Such an image was meant to portray the Emperor as victorious and all-conquering. However, shown without weapons or armour, Marcus Aurelius seems to be a bringer of peace rather than a military hero, for this is how he saw himself and his reign.

The emperor is shown riding without the use of stirrups, which had not yet been introduced to the West. While the horse has been meticulously studied in order to be recreated for other artists' works, the saddle cloth was copied with the thought that it was part of the standard Roman uniform. The saddle cloth is actually Sarmatian in origin, suggesting that the horse is a Sarmatian horse and that the statue was created to honour the victory over the Sarmatians by Marcus Aurelius, after which he adopted "Sarmaticus" to his name.

The Sarmatians were a large confederation of ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic peoples of classical antiquity who dominated the Pontic steppe from about the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD.


https://www.rome.net/piazza-campidoglio

The Piazza del Campidoglio was laid down on the summit of the Capitoline Hill, the most important of Rome’s seven hills. It is the first modern square to be designed in Rome.

The piazza came about because Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, organized a visit to Rome in 1536. Pope Paul III was so dismayed by the state of the sodden Capitoline Hill that he commissioned Michelangelo to design a square.
Michelangelo wanted the square to face St Peter’s Basilica, the political centre of Rome, instead of the Roman Forum. He also proposed the construction of another palace, Palazzo Nuovo, which would face Palazzo dei Conservatori. This palace, in its turn, would have a new façade. The Palazzo Senatorio’s front would also be redesigned so that all the buildings and the square would work harmoniously.

An imposing bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius was erected in the centre of the square. It is currently housed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori and in the square stands a replica of the Roman Emperor instead.
The execution of the plans took so long that Michelangelo didn’t live to see his work completed. Nevertheless, his designs were followed meticulously and finished several centuries later.

The Piazza del Campidoglio is one of the most beautiful squares in Rome, attracting millions of visitors every year. Its popularity is also due to its proximity to the Capitoline Museums and the legendary sculpture of the Capitoline Wolf, situated between the Palazzo Senatorio and Palazzo Nuovo.

The bronze she-wolf on top of the column is a replica. The original is housed in the Capitoline Museums.