The Basilica of Vitruvius re-emerges in Fano
3 minutes
From beneath the piazza in the historic centre of Fano, the past has decided to resurface. The excavations now underway to redevelop Piazza Andrea Costa have brought to light the basilica designed by Marco Vitruvio Pollione, the only construction that the Roman architect known as Vitruvius says he personally followed. Its discovery, awaited for over two thousand years, is destined to rewrite not only the history of the city, but also that of Western architecture. More than just an archaeological find, the basilica is a story being put back together, a page left unturned for centuries that can now, finally, be read. From now on, when taking a walk through Fano, you will know that under the city's streets and piazzas lives one of the most fascinating chapters of classical European culture.
The basilica described in De Architectura
For centuries, the Basilica of Vitruvius existed only in the words of De Architectura, the famous ten-volume treatise dedicated to the Emperor Augustus, and the only text on ancient architecture passed down to the modern day in its complete form. Today, those words are surprisingly borne out by reality: the remains of the basilica have re-emerged during the redevelopment works in Piazza Andrea Costa, a place that until recently appeared to be an ordinary urban space.
What has emerged from the subsoil coincides impressively with what Vitruvius described: the shape, the proportions and the spatial layout. In fact, it is such a perfect fit that it puts an end to centuries of speculation and theoretical reconstructions. Not surprisingly, scholars and archaeologists had been searching for traces of this building for generations, imagining that it lay under the Duomo or in other parts of the historic centre. Today, however, the answer comes from the heart of the city.
A new chapter for Fano
Because of its importance in Roman history, this find is destined to enter the history books, and is comparable to the great archaeological discoveries of the past. But its value goes beyond archaeology. It is also a rediscovery of the important role that Fano played in the Roman world.
There is also a deep connection with the city's identity. Vitruvius was born in the ancient Fanum Fortunae, today's Fano. The discovery in his birthplace of the only project he claims to have personally followed gives the city a new and unexpected centrality. In Vitruvius' time, the basilica was not a solemn or private building but an open and lived-in space where people met, did business and administered justice.
This discovery is part of a city that already retains many traces of its Roman past, from the Arch of Augustus to the city walls. Today, however, that story is enriched with new pieces. The excavations are bringing to light valuable details about the organisation of ancient Fano, and hint at how much there is still to discover.
Walking through history, looking to the future
From today, visiting Fano means living a different experience. Strolling through the centre, you can imagine the columns rising towards the sky, the voices filling the basilica, the life that animated this great public space two thousand years ago.
Work will continue in order to better integrate the archaeological site into the modern-day city, so as to make its heritage accessible and alive. In a land as rich in history as Italy, Fano offers something rare: a discovery that will change the way the city is narrated. It reminds us that history never stands still, but continues to emerge, step by step.
