Trajan's Column

Trajan's Column is a Roman triumphal column in Rome, built to commemorate Emperor Trajan's victory in the Dacian Wars. It stands about 30 meters tall in Trajan's Forum, north of the Roman Forum. The column is famous for its spiral bas-relief, which winds around the shaft 23 times and depicts the wars between the Romans and Dacians. The relief shows 2,662 figures and 155 scenes, with Trajan appearing 58 times.

Don't miss

• The spiral bas-relief frieze, 190 meters long, winding 23 times from base to capital
• The 185-step spiral staircase inside the shaft leading to a viewing deck at the top
• The bronze statue of Saint Peter added in 1587, replacing the original statue of Trajan
• The inscription at the base in Roman square capitals, a famous example of the script
• The column's original setting, flanked by two sections of the Ulpian Library

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Trajan's Column

Cheapest way inColosseum and Roman Forum Sightseeing Area Walking Tour4.8★ · 175 travelers~2 hoursFree cancellationFrom$5 per personSee dates →Most bookedRome: Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill Guided Tour4.5★ · 25,110 travelers~3 hoursFrom$40 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleRome Colosseum, Forum and Pantheon Tour with Castel Sant’Angelo5★ · 12 travelers~4 hoursFree cancellationFrom$166 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The column is located in Trajan's Forum, north of the Roman Forum.
• The frieze depicts Trajan's two victorious military campaigns against the Dacians (101–102 and 105–106).
• The relief includes 2,662 figures and 155 scenes; Trajan appears 58 times.

A bit of history

The column was probably constructed under the supervision of the architect Apollodorus of Damascus at the order of the Roman Senate. It was completed and dedicated on 12 May 113 AD. After Trajan's death in 117, his ashes and those of his wife Plotina were placed in golden urns inside the column's base. The statue of Trajan that originally topped the column disappeared in the Middle Ages. On December 4, 1587, Pope Sixtus V crowned the column with a bronze figure of Saint Peter, which remains today.