How was the Arch of Titus destroyed?

Ave

I am not sure this is the right place to ask this question but according to a book I am reading now there was a different Arch of Titus from the one we have now that was apparently destroyed in the 15th or 16th century. Does anyone know what were the circumstances in which the other monument was destroyed? Any information will be appreciated.

Ave

I am not sure this is the right place to ask this question but according to a book I am reading now there was a different Arch of Titus from the one we have now that was apparently destroyed in the 15th or 16th century. Does anyone know what were the circumstances in which the other monument was destroyed? Any information will be appreciated.

I must admit that I have vague memory of once hearing someone talking about a triumphal Arch being taken down in Rome, however I discovered that the LacusCurtius site has an extract from Platner's guide which may explain the confusion as Platner comments on the Arch that:

"In the Middle Ages it formed part of the stronghold of the Frangipani, a chamber was constructed in the upper part of the archway, and the level of the roadway was lowered considerably, exposing the travertine foundations. The injury to the structure was so great that it was taken down in 1822 and rebuilt by Valadier, who restored a large part of the attic and the outer half of both piers in travertine. "

On that basis it may be that the author's of your book have conflated the Middle Ages activity around the Arch with something else, or possibly simply made a mistake in thinkling that there was another Arch which was removed rather than being taken down as part of being restored.

c/f

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gaze...scriptions.html

http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gaze...i.html#Valadier

Thanks for the info Melvadius. Those articles were quite edifying (no pun intended). I must say the sculptures of the menorah and the shewbread look different here from what I remember from my school books.