Rome Reborn: The Basilica of Maxentius (Android)

In this fully immersive application that supports free roaming, the Rome Reborn team is proud to host Beth Harris and Steven Zucker of Smarthistory, who present the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine (also known as the Basilica Nova).

This was the last monumental civic building built in pre-Christian Rome. With a main entrance off the Via Sacra, it was constructed during the reign of Maxentius as part of a project that included rebuilding the nearby Temple of Venus and Rome. The vast hall (96 meters long and 65 meters wide) is covered by three cross vaults 35 meters high. The walls and floors were covered with marble.

Today, the building, like the colossal portrait of Constantine, survives only in a very damaged condition. The Rome Reborn team’s digital restoration allows you to re-experience the splendor of the monument as it appeared when new in the fourth century AD.