All Italian school children
are taught that Constantine beat his rival Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge in
the year 312 AD, ushering in a new era in Western Europe. Very few people have
actually visited one of the few extant sites linked to the momentous battle --
the Malborghetto Arch, at km 19 along the Via Flaminia, which was erected by a
thankful Constantine as a four-sided triumphal monument to mark the place where
he pitched his camp before the fateful battle. The arch was walled up and
turned into a medieval “casale” or fortified farm house, which was bought by a
“pomatarius” or herbalist, to whom it owes its present castle-like appearance,
and was only identified in the early 1900s. We will visit the small museum
inside, and chart the story of the arch and its history.
When:
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Time & Meeting
Place: 10:15 a.m. at Sacrofano railway station parking lot. The 9:30 commuter train from Piazzale Flaminio arrives
at Sacrofano at 9:57.
Cost:
€10 for CCR members, €15 for non-members for the guided tour. Please bring exact change, as this will greatly facilitate the process for everyone.
RVSP
required by Wednesday, February 4th: ATTN Joe at canadarome@gmail.com. You are financially responsible for your
reservation.
NOTE:
Please bring correct change, familiarize yourself with the meeting place ahead
of time and make sure you are ready to depart promptly.
