World Heritage Photos

The Column of Igel (German: Igeler Säule) is the tallest Roman burial column north of the Alps. The column dates from around 250 AD; it was made of sandstone and is 23 metres high. The column is located eight km upriver from Trier on the River Moselle, in the small village of Igel in Germany. The column was erected by two cloth merchants, the brothers Secundinius Aventinus and Secundinius Securus, to honour their deceased relatives. The square column is decorated with figures in bas-relief, which show scenes from Greek mythology and the everyday life of the brothers. This monument escaped destruction after the decline of the Roman Empire because in early Christian times, one of the reliefs was considered to be a depiction of the marriage of the parents of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great, Emperor Constantius Chlorus I and Helena. Helena (c.250–c.330) was an important figure in the history of Christianity. The column is part of the World Heritage Site Roman monuments, Cathedral of St. Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier. These monuments were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.

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   The Column of Igel dates from around 250 AD. This square monument was erected by two cloth merchants, the brothers Secundinius Aventinus and Secundinius Securus, to commemorate and honour their deceased relatives. The Column of Igel is decorated with figures in bas-relief, which show scenes from Greek mythology and the everyday life of the cloth merchants.

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   The Column of Igel escaped destruction after the decline of the Roman Empire because one of the reliefs was considered to be a representation of the marriage of Constantius I Chlorus and Helena of Constantinople, the parents of the Roman Emperor Constantine I, or Constantine the Great. Constantine was the first Christian ruler of the Roman Empire.

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   The Column of Igel is crowned by a fine sculpture of Jupiter and Ganymede. This monument was also used as a Roman military boundary marker and milestone. The Column of Igel is part of the World Heritage Site: Roman Monuments, Cathedral of St Peter and Church of Our Lady in Trier. This ensemble was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.

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   The Column of Igel is the tallest Roman burial column north of the Alps. The square column was made of red and grey sandstone and reaches a height of about 23 metres. The Roman column stands about eight  to ten km southwest upriver from Trier along the River Moselle. It stands at its original location in the small German village of Igel. The unique Column of Igel is one of the best-preserved Roman grave monuments.