Rome
Panoramic view of Trajan's Column and surrounding buildings, Rome, Italy pictured on December 11, 2010 in the afternoon. This Triumphal Column, completed in 113 AD, probably by Apollodorus of Damascus, depicts Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars, (101-102 and 105-106), in spiral bas relief. Constructed from 20 Carrara marble drums, 3.7 meters in diametre, it is about 30 meters high, or 35 meters including the pedestal. The 190-meter frieze has 23 spirals. Inside the shaft is a spiral staircase of 185 steps leading to a viewing platform. Originally topped by a statue of Trajan it now supports a bronze statue of St Peter which was installed in 1587, by Pope Sixtus V. To the right of the column stands the Church of Santa Maria di Loreto, 16th century, designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger (1484- -1546). Picture by Manuel Cohen
