ance ▁and ▁authority ▁is ▁emphas ised , ▁and ▁its ▁leadership ▁is ▁just ified . ▁ ▁Over all , ▁it ▁is ▁an ▁anticip ation ▁of ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁art istic ▁style ▁into ▁late ▁anti qu ity , ▁and ▁a ▁first ▁art istic ▁expression ▁of ▁the ▁crisis ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁emp ire ▁that ▁would ▁w ors en ▁in ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁century . ▁ ▁Later ▁history ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges , ▁clim bing ▁the ▁column ▁was ▁so ▁popular ▁that ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁charge ▁the ▁entrance ▁fee ▁was ▁ann ually ▁au ction ed , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁no ▁longer ▁possible ▁to ▁do ▁so ▁today . ▁Now ▁the ▁Column ▁serves ▁a ▁cent rep ie ce ▁to ▁the ▁pia zza ▁in ▁front ▁of ▁the ▁Pal azzo ▁Ch igi . ▁ ▁Rest oration ▁ ▁About ▁three ▁metres ▁of ▁the ▁base ▁have ▁been ▁below ▁ground ▁level ▁since ▁ 1 5 8 9 ▁when , ▁by ▁order ▁of ▁po pe ▁Si xt us ▁V , ▁the ▁whole ▁column ▁was ▁restored ▁by ▁D omen ico ▁Font ana ▁and ▁adapted ▁to ▁the ▁ground ▁level ▁of ▁that ▁time . ▁Also ▁a ▁bronze ▁statue ▁of ▁the ▁apost le ▁St . ▁Paul ▁was ▁placed ▁on ▁the ▁top ▁platform , ▁to ▁go ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁St . ▁Peter ▁on ▁Tra jan ' s ▁Column ▁( 2 7 ▁October ▁ 1 5 8 8 ). ▁( Origin ally ▁the ▁top ▁platform ▁probably ▁had ▁a ▁statue ▁of ▁Marcus ▁A ure lius , ▁but ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁already ▁lost ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 6 th ▁century .)