Triumphal arch

Uncommon card · No. 140902

A triumphal arch is most commonly a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway commemorating a person or an event, or in the context of church architecture it is the arch marking the transition between the nave used by the worshippers, and the sacred space of the sanctuary or choir. The monumental archway can have one or more arched passageways, is often designed to span a road, and usually stands alone, unconnected to other buildings. In its simplest form, a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, typically crowned with a flat entablature or attic on which a statue might be mounted or which bears commemorative inscriptions. The main structure is often decorated with carvings, sculpted reliefs, and dedications. More elaborate triumphal arches may have multiple archways, or in a tetrapylon, passages leading in four directions. Triumphal arches are one of the most influential and distinctive types of ancient Roman architecture. Effectively invented...

Read on Wikipedia · Image Carole Raddato from FRANKFURT, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0