La aplicación del arco de herradura en el Panteón (Roma) y su proyección simbólica en la estela de Valens (León, NW Hispania)

Abstract

Horseshoe arches samples in funerary steles from north-western Hispania are usually identified as simple geometric decorative motifs. This opinion has also been associated with what is represented in the stele of Valens (León, NW Spain), despite the fact that the artistic quality of the bas-relief allows to link it better with an architectural element. Likewise, it is very remarkable the practical absence of references in specialized historiography to another significant sample of horseshoe arch, despite being part of one of the most important classical monuments: the Pantheon of Rome. Located on the inside face of the door, the prominence of this majestic arch in the construction design of the Pantheon explains the symbolic meaning of what is represented in the stele of Valens.