Walk inside and ascend Trajan's Column

[@hanspeterpluss1338]

In 1955, I was one of the very rare persons who got the permission, from the ministery of education, to visit the inside and the top of the Column of Trajan, because I was a student of Ancient Rome's History. Just one word: Amazing.

[@gully8029]

I’m so happy you got to experience this. What an honor ❤ My head and heart would have exploded with excitement

[@cougar2013]

The column was even there in 1955?!?

[@hanspeterpluss1338]

@@cougar2013 of course, since almost 2'000 years! Or was that a kind of joke from you?

[@cougar2013]

@@hanspeterpluss1338 no, I really thought that the Roman Empire erected the column sometime between 1955 and now 😂 jk I was trying to be funny, but as usual ended up amusing only myself. Sorry and thanks for sharing your cool story!! 😎✌️❤️

[@hanspeterpluss1338]

@@cougar2013 Never mind, that was quite OK. I always forget, because of my age, that quite a lot of people are much more funny than me. Have a good day, and if possible, go once and have a sight on that wonderful town of Rome where a big part of our civilisation started, 2'700 years ago!

[@DeneF]

I am astonished. I had no idea it was so wide that it had an internal stairway. All these years I never knew. Amazing! Thanks Darius.

[@DariusArya]

Glad you liked it! More AMAZING one of a kind content coming up... just getting started...

[@bill9989]

I was there 3 months ago. Standing right there and it just doesn't seem wide enough for an internal stairway.

[@marciaspiegel5280]

Never knew about this. Thank you.

[@juliusnepos6013]

Same

[@edwalker598]

i was shocked when I saw the size of its plaster cast at the V&A, its truly enormous

[@m.dewylde5287]

A plaster cast replica of the column's bas-reliefs exists in Romania at the National Museum of Romanian History in Bucharest. The sections are not assembled and they are exhibited at eye level. This is because Romanians consider the event of Dacia being conquered by the Romans as the birth of what later became the Romanian people.

[@DariusArya]

Yes- and there are other copies- ours is in EUR (but the museum is currently closed).

[@DonariaRegia]

@@DariusArya If you wanted to take a camera inside the Arch of Septimius Severus or any of the other arches I'd watch that too.

[@Nighthawk799]

plaster copies are at the museum of roman civilization at EUR.

[@theoroosevelt4849]

Whats EUR?@@Nighthawk799

[@risatedarte5366]

​@@DariusAryait'years that the wonderful Museo Della Civiltà Romana it'closed 😔

[@JiveTrkey]

Pretty amazing for you to ascend the very same staircase that so many notable characters throughout history surely did too. And because it's so narrow, you can be sure your footsteps fell in the same spot.

[@monicacall7532]

Darius, back in 2000 my family and I had the opportunity to take a hard hat tour of Trajan’s forum which ended at his column. Being up close to the column and being able to see the magnificent carvings was truly awe inspiring. It’s exciting to see how much work has been done on the forum since then. Unfortunately, our tour didn’t include walking up the interior to the top. Seeing what you saw at the top brought back so many happy memories of the times I’ve visited Rome, and frankly, I envy you working in Rome and the rest of Italy (except for the wild drivers, especially the carabiniere [spelling?] who are the worst drivers of all!)

[@hanspeterpluss1338]

monicacall: spelling of "carabiniere"? this is singular; the correct plural is "carabinieri". Tanti saluti da un mezzo Italiano!

[@gregorymcdpachsa]

Thank you so much. I have wondered about the interior for decades.

[@larsrons7937]

Thank you for this rare tour. I was in Rome in 1977 and 2014 and both times I wished to ascend the staircase inside the column. I'm glad I at least got to see it on video.

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@johnberry3824]

Fascinating! Thank you. The one thing you didn't mention is the most important aspect of Trajan's column for typographers, printers, and lettering artists: the inscription at the bottom has been considered for centuries the epitome of the classical Roman letters.

[@garywheeler7039]

There is a plaster replica in England that is even more exact than the original that has eroded due to exposure to the elements. It preserves more details than the original.

[@chumleyk]

There's a reason why the original is in worse shape, it's because everyone made plaster casts of it which started to degrade it.

[@garywheeler7039]

@@chumleyk : No it was acid rain from pollution dissolving the stone. Coal burning especially.

[@CTCDetroit]

Extremely thrilling experience, that you could never do as an actual tourist in Rome.

[@edgarsnake2857]

I stood outside it years ago and imagined what your video presents beautifully. Thanks.

[@DariusArya]

thank you- that's exactly what I wanted to share- the experience!

[@victoriafilippova8927]

What a stunning view from the top of the Column! It''s amazing that there'"s a staircase inside it. Thank you Darius for this wonderful video! 😍

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@Anna-ky7ix]

Thank you for the tour inside Trajan’s column! Beautiful and astounding engineering!

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@libertycowboy2495]

Ive been to Roma once...got to see the column ( cant see the soldiers well over 10 to 20 ft up). Still it was awe inspiring. Wish they would have left the original statue on it. Would be amazing to see this restored to original condition

[@mikeifyouplease]

If it had not been for the statue of St Peter, the column probably would have been knocked down. The transformation of many buildings in Rome into Christain related connections, is what saved a lot of the Ancient Roman architecture that we still see today.

[@ciprianmoldovanu6264]

Bravo Darius! Amazing presentation! The world should thank you much 👍 Thank you!

[@DariusArya]

Many thanks!

[@saveriocannata3447]

Thank you to bring the camera inside the column and on the top. Fantastic!

[@DariusArya]

Glad you liked it!

[@69waveydavey]

There's a copy in the British museum, I saw it as a child on a school trip to London, It always fascinated me, I eventually saw it for real a couple of years ago. Had no idea it had steps in.

[@Deyan_B_Travels]

I was in Rome last week. I didn't know you could go inside and on top of Trajan's column. On my list for the next time in Rome! Thank you!

[@stephensears7483]

Hey Darius-It's Great to see you! Congratulations on your channel. I didn't know the column had an inside!! It's been a long time since our days on Via A. Masina in 99-00...

[@cyndy338]

Darius, so happy to see you again! Your knowledge and enthusiasm of Rome is amazing🤩 Thanks so much! Have always enjoyed your presentations! This video is thrilling👏👏👏👍👊😊

[@DariusArya]

Thank you

[@Ryan-vl2nn]

As a huge nerd regarding Roman history, I absolutely love your channel. As I’ve learned so much in regards to Roman structures that survive to this day. Not to mention I had no idea that the column was originally painted. That’s amazing! Also I had no idea that there was an interior staircase. So cool!

[@DariusArya]

Awesome, thank you!

[@Chuck8541]

That's so amazing. As a tourist, I'd never be able to see that view from above! Thanks! I do wonder, sorry if this is a stupid question, but are their ashes still in the base somewhere? If not, what happened to them?

[@DariusArya]

The urns are long gone- Trajan and Plotina.

[@Chuck8541]

@@DariusArya ahh, ok I see. Thank you! Was just curious.

[@bcastano1105]

Hello Darius , I have followed you since Periscope and have just love your work and learned so much. Thank you for what you do. Happy new Year to you and your family

[@douglaswilkinson5700]

Darius, thank you! I never thought I'd see the inside of the column@

[@DariusArya]

You bet! More incredible experiences on the way!

[@michelaperito6994]

Wow! I miss Rome so much.. thank you for your precious video! Love all that you do!

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@orestesrafaelbetancourt4237]

What an AMAZING video. Thank you for taking us there!

[@jamesclayton3388]

Astonishing!.. thanks for sharing this with all of us. It is something I and many of your subscribers probably have never seen before. Is the statue of Trajen in the Vatican museum?..

[@fredyair1]

Thank you! Are there any visits for the public that can be scheduled? The idea of stepping on those stairs and see what so many prestigious citizens of Rome saw almost 2000 years ago is just so mind boggling!

[@paulaiello2071]

My daughter and I sat down on a step right across from Trajan’s column and admired it’s beauty when we visited room for the first time in April 2023. Thanks for showing the inside. Breathtakingly, magnificent view!

[@jozefkrnc3753]

I had no idea that it was actually made out of solid marble blocks of that size. Truly boggles the mind how creative the Roman engineers had to be to construct such marvels without the modern technology. I hope that someday some billionaire will invest some money in something as monumental and longstanding as this so that the generations in 2000 years will see it and marvel at our society as much as we do at the Roman one...

[@JamesAdams-ev6fc]

Excellent video. Darius, very good to see you back in this effective new format. Thanks very much.

[@DariusArya]

Glad you liked it!

[@JamesAdams-ev6fc]

@@DariusArya Darius your videos about Roman artifacts are among the best. I hope that you will write a book or do a documentary on this. One thing that I am curious about: ancient Roman education. There must have been something to do besides visiting the Colosseum.

[@vladtepes6690]

I had the pleasure of viewing the column Marcus Aurelius a couple of weeks ago, an amazing monument that doesn't get many visitors or attention these days.

[@hanspeterpluss1338]

Rome is full of amazing aspects! And Italy is the beauty itself.

[@stevoplex]

I had the great privilege of climbing the spiral stairway inside the dome of St. Peter's Basilica to the small gallery at the very peak. The view down into the interior of the church from the highest point possible was amazing. The dome has a narrow space between inner and outer dome. Not open to the public. I was a guest of one of the few people who had access. I'd love to see a video about that.

[@brober]

Fantastico! Do we know what happened to Trajan's sarcophagus at the base chamber or the huge bronze statue at the top removed in the 16th century? Grazie Prof. Arya

[@DariusArya]

Good question! The urns are long gone. Same for Trajan's statue on top- surely recycled for the bronze.

[@alvanrigby6361]

Breathtaking. Thank you!

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@bangbangninergang7573]

As always, great content. Thanks for sharing this.

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@TA-dg6tf]

This is such a wonderful experience. Thank you so much Darius. I would never be able to see this without your video!

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@monicabattaglia2436]

Thank you for the wonderful experience and video 😊

[@DariusArya]

Thank you too!

[@teleopinions1367]

Thank you for that for all that history and for giving us the opportunity to go inside Trajan's Column. Qué lujo! Trajan was from Spain, right? Was he born in what today is Extremadura? Maybe I am wrong.

[@DariusArya]

Italica!

[@wenliu5051]

this has to be a wonder of the ancient world, simply mind boggling to think it's nearly 2000 years old, and still standing, and you can climb all the way to the top as well, I never knew you can climb the column.

[@whothefluff]

I didn't know they let people inside, that's an awesome experience. What's the process? I found a page to book visits to some places like the Sepolcro degli Scipioni or the Mitreo del Circo Massimo which happen a few times a year, but I can't find anything for the column

[@DariusArya]

Column is not open to public. I"ll share in the future the sites you mention..

[@anna-lisagirling7424]

Oh, my! I actually never realized it had an internal staircase to the top! What I wouldn't give for a time machine to see that view shortly after it was completed! Also, have the colors of the narrative "scroll" been determined and is there a visual recreation of it somewhere? Thank you, Darius, for taking me on this visit.

[@DariusArya]

Great article on the colors in Nat Geo article.

[@klyanadkmorr]

Yeah the outside replication of the emperor warrior's exploits was like doing a picto graph of '300' on a scroll to wrap around stuff.

[@senseis1]

WOW, great video.😀

[@nascarbryant]

What a privilege to visit such restricted places! I remeber visiting Trajans markets …..not many people in the „museum“……it was magic….like being in old Rome……. Please keep also posting on linkedin! Thx for sharing your incredible experience….

[@DariusArya]

Yes I will keep up with LinkedIn

[@koganinja100]

Great video I was there a few weeks ago on a bus tour - stood where you stood in intro didn’t have time to go inside- now I know I must go back. I would love to see it checked by electron microscope to check original colours as some of the Greek monuments have been And then restored to its original colours and glory and Trajans statue put back and restored would be fantastic. Whilst on my tour, one of the highlights for me was to leave a coin on the site where Julius Caesar’s ashes were said to be scattered. Love Italy, people, food, culture and history extraordinary country. Thank you for your video. All the best from down under Lewis Sydney Australia 🇦🇺

[@kaalraam]

2:56 That gelato place on the right side is AMAZING. top tier mango smoothie too :)

[@arrjay2410]

What happened to the statue of Trajan at the top. If it still exists could it be returned to the top of the column.

[@A_Eichler]

Totally agree!

[@brucelee3388]

Trajan's statue was probably bronze, so once the Library of Trajan was destroyed the bronze statue would have been melted down, like so many others - most bronzes that survive came from ship wrecks like Antikythera or were buried in places like Herculaneum.

[@lesliewatson-cq8mb]

Always wanted to know what it was like inside!! Thanks so much! Leslie

[@DariusArya]

My pleasure!

[@Sevenigma777]

Just caught this channel and this is the type of content im addicted too and why i havent had cable in over ten years now and this is a small channel...well for now keep this up and youll be one of the big ones in no time!

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@danielc45]

Wow! Must take special permission to climb up the column. What an incredible construction 200 years ago. Thanks for sharing.

[@stevenrunyon170]

2,000 years ago

[@danielc45]

Left out a zero!@@stevenrunyon170

[@busterbiloxi3833]

Marvelous. Thank you Darius.

[@Suz-e-K]

Wow, Darius. Lucky you. Thanks for sharing.

[@DariusArya]

My pleasure!

[@MMijdus]

Very special treat! Thank you! 🙏 Let me also add that I think a statue of Trajan should be re-erected on top. He deserves this. It is HIS monument. It is he who should be honoured on top.

[@hanspeterpluss1338]

Yes indeed, a briliant idea! Thanks

[@hugodesrosiers-plaisance3156]

That was an amazing walk you took us on! Very impressive architecture. If I may ask a question, back in Antiquity, how safe/unsafe could such a monument have been for the average person to climb? It's a big fall, a great trap for mugging, etc...

[@mushymagazineonlocation7328]

Thanks for taking us up. Amazing construction, amazing history.

[@myview5840]

Why was the inscription cut through like that above the door?

[@DariusArya]

A later structure’s roof was cut into it. There was later control of who went up!

[@stevoplex]

I had the great privilege of climbing the spiral stairway inside the dome of St. Peter's Basilica to the small gallery at the very peak. The view down into the interior of the church from the highest point possible was amazing. The dome has a narrow space between inner and outer dome. Not open to the public. I was a guest of one of the few people who had access. I'd love to see a video about that.

[@DariusArya]

Sounds like a great project!

[@smashinproduction]

thank you so much for all your videos

[@Redhand1949]

I knew it had to have an interior because of the platform and railing at the top. BUT accessibility? No way! Thanks, Darius, for sharing an opportunity few of us will ever have! I'm pretty sure your access was a function of your expertise and reputation in Rome. Again, thanks for sharing. This is now burned in my memory, and I won't be able to "unsee" your steps the next time (I pray) I'm able to visit Rome.

[@DariusArya]

My pleasure!

[@lauxmyth]

Great work but so wanted to see the doors at the base to see the age of the hinges and locks. Metal it appears so not likely original. Seen photos from a distance and never noted the windows needed to light the stairs. So cool.

[@DariusArya]

Windows are key. The door today is modern...

[@brucelee3388]

Should I also point out that the column was INSIDE the Library of Trajan, so people could walk around the inside of the library at various levels and look at the carved and painted surface of the column at near eye level.

[@fredpierce6097]

Amazing structure…..amazing views…….amazing video!

[@starkillerdude1914]

It's crazy to think trajan's column survived up until the 17 hundred when the pope decided the statue of trajan needed to go, replacing it.

[@johnrogers8836]

a secondary (if not primary) function of the internal void / stair access would have been a (significant) reduction in weight.

[@dima97]

Fun fact, it was a mediveal tourist destination. It had so many people lined up, they started to sell tickets to get in

[@DariusArya]

Yup

[@1028dianemarie]

Great video. Would never see this without you. 👏🏻👏🏻And what a view of the monument to Victor Emmanuel. My grandmother, who came here from Bari, was named Emmanuela after the king 👑

[@DariusArya]

Yes, best view ever! happy to share the incredible experience

[@bullfrommull]

Absolutely wonderful. I wish I could do that.

[@DeneF]

Was this column commissioned by the emperor and if so, did he see it finished and a view from the top prior to death? Thanks as always Darius.

[@DariusArya]

Yes, done in Trajan's lifetime. The carving was - according to Claridge- done afterward in homage...

[@DeneF]

@@DariusArya Brilliant to think he probably did see the vista from it's summit then? Many thanks Darius.

[@jmhatyoutube6283]

@@DariusArya Am I understanding you correctly? Are you saying that all the carving commemorating the battles was done in situ, after the column was erected? I suppose it would be too difficult to hoist the sections into place while simultaneously matching up figures which cross the seams. The spiraling design is brilliant, but it does add another layer of complexity. Ideally, I should think a sculptor would want to work on the blocks as they went up, in serial fashion, so they could be accessed from both inside and out. Ditto for carving out the stairs. A fascinating work, a gorgeous monument, a stunning view! Lucky you! Lucky us! Many thanks.

[@DariusArya]

Had they been carved on the ground then hoisted up, the scenes that overlap the blocks would never have lined up. Also, there would have been a lot of damage. 1. The blocks and stairs were roughed out 2. lifted in place. Then the shaped the column from top to bottom (It has ENTASIS). Finally, the scenes were carved (with new scaffolding) from bottom to top. @@jmhatyoutube6283

[@jmhatyoutube6283]

@@DariusArya Thank you for your kind reply and for explaining how it was done. What a fascinating, extraordinary work! I am enjoying your excellent “tours” very much, especially when you visit places where we will never be allowed to go.

[@dawndelvecchio5375]

What an amazing video! I had no idea how large it actually was. I didn't know there was a staircase inside that you could use to reach the top. So cool! Thank you!

[@DariusArya]

Glad you liked it! Check out ARL for a video on more rich details on how they built it- coming soon

[@paoloviti6156]

Again I'm writing late but not only Trajan's column was built this way Lego like but also the The Colosseum and many important buildings... Good job because I never visited inside the stairs...

[@TriviRocks]

Wow! It's like a lighthouse inside. I had never imagined that!

[@jimparsons6803]

Wow, indeed. I've seen on US' PBS one or another docs, the outside of this structure. A billboard for this Roman Ruler. A PBS travel log by Rick Steves once told of a museum, nearby, that had plaster casts of the outside of this Colum. So that you can view this Column's segments at eyelevel. I wasn't aware that there tomb at the base for the ashes of Trajan or his wife. Or that there was a similar Column for Marcus Aurelius? A lot going on with those Romans. Newer discoveries or points of view being published every now and then. Interesting and well done, well presented.

[@ЕвгенийПак-в6с]

Hello, Darius, appreciate your work! Is it possible to get Marcus Aurelius column inside video from you?

[@JoseGonzalez-nl6cf]

Ir a Roma fue mi sueno echo realidad y estar cerca de la columna al emperador Trajano una experiencia sublime

[@patrickhobbs96]

1:32 Is the caption supposed to read "... in ST Peter's" instead of "... in AT Peter's"? Or should it be "... at St Peter's"?

[@Sassari2930]

Wonderful video... Thanks!!

[@slemire58]

Thanks for this! Great overview....was there last October and visiting the Forum there never gets old

[@andyroo9381]

WOW! You took us to a place we will never be able to go on our own. This was a privilege. What happened to the statue of Trajan? Was it made of marble or of bronze? Was it stolen or repurposed? Thank you for this.

[@Joanna-il2ur]

I imagine the Church just broke it up when they stuck St John up there.

[@ralfjansen9118]

The bronze of the statue has been molten for probably profane purposes already in the middle ages, same as the lead plugs that held the drums of the column together have been broken out by metal thieves.

[@ralfjansen9118]

​@@Joanna-il2urSt Peter, not St John

[@Joanna-il2ur]

@@ralfjansen9118 blame Claridge. She said it was St John. I did an assignment on the column for my MA.

[@DariusArya]

Melted down, repurposed, sometime in the Middle Ages- probably from locals "hungry' for metal (gilded bronze)

[@Eddict1989]

Amazing video. Thank you for lettings us see Trajan's collumn on the inside.

[@oleeb]

How did you get access to go inside the column? Is it regularly open for visitors on a limited basis or did you have to get some sort of special permission to walk up to the top?

[@mikeifyouplease]

I wish you had shown the entrance way and "the room?" that made up the first floor. Were the tombs or the locations of the tombs visible in that entrance "foyer?"

[@cerracarmine]

Belissima! This is amazing Was not aware of the incredible engineering

[@RemseyYT]

I find it stunning that the column survived when most buildings around it did not.

[@timhollinsead5974]

Darius, great video, what an experience! Tim

[@DariusArya]

My pleasure!

[@tomsherwood4650]

Would have liked to see the interior of the base where you enter.

[@maklamukla583]

Die Trajan Säule ist beeindruckend vor allem weil sie so gut erhalten ist. Als ich vor Jahren in Rom war hatten mich die Caracalla Thermen am meisten beeindruckt, diese riesen Gebäude und Anlage. Es muss beeindruckend gewesen sein wo alles noch Komplett war. Bitte machen Sie einen Film zu den Caracalla Thermen würde mich sehr freuen. Danke

[@samparkerSAM]

AWE INSPIRING, Thank You, SPQR remembers

[@gregorymccoy6797]

Wonderful opportunity.

[@mattmack222]

Thank you, Darius. I wish you had included more footage of the interior at the base, though. How were the urns containing the ashes stored? Once Trajan was interred there, would the column have been closed to the Roman public? Questions, questions..

[@DariusArya]

For another time- didn't opportunity to do a deep dive on that aspect. BUT ARL will drop a video on it- next week, fingers crossed !

[@klyanadkmorr]

Were safety railings wood?brass used back in the day for anyone ascending the tower? Who would and be at the top? Was it a religious ceremony only by a priest/leader/musician? to crowds below?

[@DariusArya]

Would have been of metal... Believe it or not there was someone in charge of access to each column (Marcus Aurelius as well)- so tourists welcome. And of course emperors, as well- will do an ARL video the column soon!

[@klyanadkmorr]

@@DariusArya Just imagined ritual public killings of enemies from the tower pushed off- =P Or just constant people tripping off falling to their deaths. If you got gladiator and animal fight deaths why not chuck em off a tower. heh

[@jeff__w]

I was wondering about the original safety railings also.

[@vickilindberg6336]

Amazing. Knew I enjoyed the story on the outside but had no idea it was actually his tomb or had a staircase.

[@dondouglass6415]

Fantastic video... Thank you... Huzzah!! 😊

[@FlexibleFlyer50]

Does this video bring back memories! Back in my college days I took Fine Arts, and one of the exam questions involved describing Hadrian's column. You gave a wonderful presentation here. Enjoyed it immensely.

[@clivebaxter6354]

where is Hadrians column?

[@FlexibleFlyer50]

@@clivebaxter6354 Rome. The Eternal City.

[@shelaghjackson9577]

This is Trajan’s….is there a Hadrian’s as well, in Rome?

[@clivebaxter6354]

No only Marcus Aurelius @@shelaghjackson9577

[@FlexibleFlyer50]

@@shelaghjackson9577 Don't think so. Marcus Aurelius has a column though.

[@danschoen3349]

Very cool, do we know if Trajans ashes are still there and what happened to the orginal statue was it destroyed?

[@xdeecee]

Wow Darius, I’m so happy you got to experience that! Amazing, thx for sharing it with us. Incredible. 👍

[@DariusArya]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@davidolien2828]

Thank you. I appreciate your vid’s very much.

[@bluowl148]

Bravissimo,come al solito spieghi molto bene 👏👏

[@astrialindah2773]

I've never even heard of this column! I wonder what kind of plaster they used...? You would think those 3D reliefs would be flaking apart after all these years... But it actually looks like it's held up well.

[@moesypittounikos]

Is the bronze door original?

[@mademoiselledusfonctionell1609]

Thank you for letting us all into this monument! I am beginning to realise that your channel is an absolute treasure trove for people interested in the Roman empire.

[@hildaramirez1372]

Has hecho realidad mi sueño de muchos años: ver las escenas talladas en la columna tan cerca de mis ojos. Y mirar el interior y conocer cómo esta construida me hizo lanzar un pequeño grito de alegría..... Has alegrado mi día. Gracias, muchas gracias