#gallo-roman art
A bronze statue of the god Mercury unearthed in Reims in 1930, age unknown
Musée Saint-Remi, Reims
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LA PORTE NOIRE in Besançon (Latin: Vesontio, later Besontio) is a triumphal arch constructed around AD 175 to commemorate the victories of Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus over the Parthians in AD 164/65 and the victories of Marcus Aurelius over various Germanic tribes in AD 171/78.
Called the Arch of Mars in antiquity, the structure was originally free-standing. It was incorporated into the city walls in the Middle Ages and remained engulfed in a bastion until the mid 19th century. The arch ceased to be noire after the restoration of 2011 removed layers of dark soot and debris.
The surviving portion of the unusually rich sculptural decoration depicts the capture of Ctesiphon and scenes of mythogical battles. The reliefs on the other side, now lost, depicted barbarian conquests. The finely-grained, locally-quarried pierre de Vergenne is ideal for detailed carving, but also vulnerable to erosion.
