One of Rome’s most iconic tourist attractions, the Arch of Constantine, was struck by lightning during a sudden and severe storm on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2024, causing chunks of stone to break off the structure. The Colosseum Archaeological Park confirmed the lightning strike and stated that the extent of the damage is currently being evaluated. “The recovery work by technicians was timely. Our workers arrived immediately after the lightning strike. All of the fragments were recovered and secured,” the park said in a statement.

Interestingly, conservation work was already underway on the south side of the Arch, which will now shift focus to repairing the new damage. “It is important to underscore that just two days ago the restoration site of the southern front of the Arch of Constantine began and therefore we can confirm that it is a case that combines scheduled maintenance and emergency protection promptly carried out,” the statement added.

The storm brought nearly two and a half feet of rain in less than an hour, an amount the city usually receives in a month. This led to the closure of the Circus Maximus track and flooding at the Trevi Fountain1. Rome’s mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, described the event as “a water bomb” in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

A tourist who witnessed the lightning strike reported seeing a large piece of stone blown off the monument1. Tourists also helped by turning over loose pieces of stone they found at the foot of the arch to park workers.

The 4th-century arch, built to celebrate Emperor Constantine’s victory over his rival Maxentius in 312, stands about 82 feet tall and is located near the Colosseum, which also experienced flooding and remained closed on Wednesday.

Sayart / Amia Nguyen, amyngwyen13@gmail.com