SIGHTSEEING
GLORIOUS MONUMENTS LEFT ON THE CÔTE D ’ AZUR SINCE ANCIENT TIMES
By Justin Brisk
The Romans fought tenaciously for decades to ensure their trade routes from Rome through the Maritime Alps to the Côte d ’ Azur and eventually to Gaul and Spain were all linked under their complete control through what was heralded as the “ Pax Romana .” The Côte d ’ Azur was a key part of this strategy to pacify the surrounding warring tribes and have unimpeded free-flowing trade .
Those who are interested in ancient history can easily find the Roman ruins not far from Monaco and spend a half-day or a day while visiting the places of interest connected with Ancient Rome as well as enhance their pleasure by visiting beautiful historic gardens and art museums of the greats such as Matisse and Chagall .
That the Romans were successful through a golden age of hundreds of years is evidenced by a legacy of monuments to their genius as a military machine and above all as engineers and architects both in war and in peace . Hello Monaco invites you to enjoy a selection of these monuments from this rich legacy of architecture that have been compared to some of the wonders of the world .
TROPHY OF AUGUSTUS ( 3 KMS FROM MONACO )
It has even been referred to as the eighth wonder of the world and it is right on Monaco ’ s doorstep : “ The Trophy of Augustus ” or Tropaeum Alpium majestically stands in the commune of La Turbie . It is testimony to a decades long war ending in a definitive victory for Roman Emperor Augustus over 45 warring tribes that impeded free flowing trade across the continent to the west of Rome including the French Riviera , Provence and also Spain and Northern Gaul .
It is the only structure of its kind still standing today in Western Europe . Eighth Wonder of the World — an exaggeration ? Not if you look at the scale of the original of which only a fraction remains . But even that fraction gives you a sense of gigantism .
The Trophy , built as a mammoth construction project in 6 BC on the Via Julia Augusta ,
© HelloMonaco
A monument to Augustus in the museum of the Trophy originally embraced a rotunda of 24 columns that supported a stepped conical roof supporting a giant statue — the total monument reaching a height of 49 metres . Its circumference was 33 metres . This Augustus Trophy heralded the beginning of what would be a roughly 200-year-long golden age of sustained Roman rule and prosperous stability , particularly around the Mediterranean .
At the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century , the monument was often damaged by invaders . Considered a non-Christian symbol it was further destroyed by the monks of Lérins Abbey . And finally during the War of the Spanish Succession , Louis XIV gave an order to dismantle the Tropaeum Alpium , along with other “ fortresses ”.
At the beginning of the 20th century , a team of archaeologists partially restored the monument , still impressive with its height reaching 35 metres . There is a museum about the Trophy on the grounds which recalls its history and has a model replica of the original monument .
Hello Monaco Spring 2022 / 127 www . hellomonaco . com