The Trophy of Augustus
N 43° 44.734 E 007° 24.166
32T E 371396 N 4844853
The Trophy of the Alps or Trophy of Augustus was built by the Roman emperor Augustus to celebrate his definitive victory over the ancient Celto-Ligurian tribes who populated the region and who had harassed merchants along Roman roads.
Waymark Code: WM2BDP
Location: Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Date Posted: 10/07/2007
Views: 82
Its remains may be seen in the Commune of La Turbie (Alpes-Maritimes), on the Grande Corniche, 6 km from Monaco.
The stone used to build the monument was originally extracted from the Roman quarry located about 500 metres away. Visitors to that site can still see the traces of sections of carved columns in the stone.
The monument - as partially restored by archaeologists at the beginning of the 20th century - is 35 metres high. When built, according to the architect Formigé, the base measured 35 metres in length, the first platform 12 metres in height, and the rotunda of 24 columns with its statue of an enthroned Augustus 49 metres high.
The monument originally served no military purpose and contained no fortress. Rather, it marked the boundary between Italy and Gallia Narbonensis, later pushed back to the Var. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, however, the Trophy did become a fortress, with locals building houses around its walls. In 1705, when war broke out between Savoy and France during the War of the Spanish Succession, Louis XIV ordered the destruction of all fortresses in the region, including this one. The partially destroyed Trophy then became a quarry and its stones were used, among other things, to build the nearby church of Saint-Michel.
Most Relevant Historical Period: Roman Empire > 27 B.C.
Admission Fee: €5.00
Opening days/times:
Every day except Monday
May 9 to September 20
09:30 - 13:00, 14:30 - 18:30
September 21 to May 18
10:00 - 13:30, 14:30 - 17:00
Web Site: [Web Link]
Condition: Partly intact or reconstructed
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