Lightning strikes Rome's ancient Constantine Arch, sending fragments to the ground

Lightning has struck Rome’s famed Constantine Arch near the Colosseum during a violent thunderstorm, causing fragments from the ancient structure to become loose.

Officials said in a Facebook post that the fragments from Tuesday’s lightning strike were immediately gathered and secured by workers with the Colosseum Archaeological Park. The extent of the damage was still being evaluated.

“The recovery operation carried out by our technicians was timely and our officials arrived on the scene immediately after the lightning strike," the park said in their statement.

The storm that brought lightning caused damages across the Italian capital and region, felling trees and flooding streets.

⚡Fulgur Conditum - il seppellimento del fulmineDurante la tempesta improvvisa di ieri pomeriggio un fulmine ha colpito...

Posted by Parco archeologico del Colosseo on Wednesday, September 4, 2024

What is the Constantine Arch?

The honorary arch, which is nearly 70 feet tall, was erected in 315 A.D. to celebrate the victory of Emperor Constantine over Maxentius after the battle at Milvian Bridge in Rome.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lightning strikes Rome's ancient Constantine Arch, sending fragments to the ground