The marble column that stands in the center of the square of the same name was built between 180 AD, the year of the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, and 193 AD, during the reign of his son Commodus, to celebrate the emperor's victories in the Germanic Wars. Standing approximately thirty meters tall, it still stands in its original position and gave its name to the current square in which it stands, Piazza Colonna.

The column is made of 27 enormous, overlapping blocks of Carrara marble and is covered with bas-reliefs that, in a series of spirals, narrate the two war campaigns led by Marcus Aurelius against the Germans (172-173) and against the Sarmatians (174-175), separated by a winged Victory.

The story begins with the crossing of the Danube on a pontoon bridge; This is followed by scenes of marches, camp building, battles, sieges, and speeches to the troops. At the top of the column stood a bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, which was destroyed.

The base was decorated with reliefs, which were lost during the restoration carried out by Domenico Fontana in 1589, when the bronze statue of Saint Paul was placed on top, replacing the original depicting the Roman emperor.