The Arch of Giano at the Forum Boarium is in fact the Honorary Arch of Constantine
Work on the Arch of Giano is expected to be completed at the end of July. To find out what stage of studies, restorations and first interventions has been reached so far, the Special Superintendence, led by Francesco Prosperetti, decided it was a good idea to invite the press to visit the site, with the possibility of climbing the scaffoldings to the top. A captivating proposal, not least because representatives of the World Monuments Fund and American Express are due to attend, having contributed substantially to the costs of the intervention with $215.000 that were added to €100.000 allocated by the Superintendence.
The monument is known to everyone as the Arch of Giano, "Ianus Quadrifrons", a name given by Renaissance antiquarians because it is said to be the only four fronts arch, or maybe deriving from the Latin "ianus", which indicates a covered passageway or doorway, as evidenced by the remains of travertine paving under the arch.
In fact, this is an honorary arch, the last edifice to be built in the Forum Boarium, commissioned by Constantine's sons in honor of their father, to be identified with the "arcus divi Constantini" mentioned in the "Regional Catalogues", which list the monuments present in each region of the city. During the restoration work, it was confirmed that this is the Honorary Arch of Constantine: an abbreviation for Constantine was found on a block, a quarry brand that marked the materials intended for the emperor's arch, says archaeologist Mirella Serlorenzi.
