The antique orginal after which this bronze is fashioned was considered to be one of the most important statues from the Roman Empire to have survived. The fact that it did survive is almost certainly due to the commonly held belief that it represented Constantine, who officially recognised Christianity within the Empire and therefore ended the persecution of Christians. In the Renaissance, the statue was used as the focal point of Michelangelo's newly designed Piazza del Campidoglio, but has recently been removed to the Capitoline Museum for protection