The ROME 312 Panorama presents the magnificent capital of the Roman empire as it looked in 312 CE. Emperor Constantine I, who defeated his nemesis Maxentius and subsequently became the sole leader of the empire at this time, can be seen with his entourage in the ancient metropolis on the Tiber. The work is based on a historical panorama by Joseph Bühlmann and Alexander von Wagner that was on display in Munich at the end of the 19th century.

In Asisi’s Panorama, the visitors’ perspective stretches from the Capitoline Hill in Rome across the entire bustling city with its temples, palaces, baths, basilicas, arches and tenements, all the way to the Alban Hills on the horizon. The buildings displayed include some whose ruins still shape the image of Rome today. However, in the Panorama they are embedded into the cosmopolitan life of the ancient Roman capital.

With ROME 312, Yadegar Asisi is also illustrating a milestone in human history: according to legend, Constantine was encouraged to promote the expansion of Christianity when the symbol of a cross in the sky predicted his victory on the eve of the battle against Maxentius in 312 CE. Afterwards, Christianity continued to gain influence until it was named the official state religion in 380 CE. For Asisi, ROME 312 and LUTHER 1517 form historical brackets that represent the rise and transformation of the Roman Catholic church.