Archaeologists discover Vitruvius’ legendary basilica

Italian archaeologists have confirmed the discovery of the remains of the legendary basilica designed by the influential Roman architect Vitruvius, a breakthrough described by Italy’s Minister of Culture as the “Tutankhamun of the 21st century”.

The building, designed by the famed architect whose legendary principles of proportion inspired Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, was uncovered during archaeological excavations in the city of Fano, in the Marche region, Italian officials announced, CE Report quotes AGERPRES.

Built in Fanum Fortunae and completed in 19 BC, the basilica is the only structure known to scholars to have been worked on by the Roman architect Vitruvius in the 1st century BC, as he specifically referenced it in his writings.

Over time, the exact location of the building was lost, becoming a long-standing mystery.

Vitruvius’ work De Architectura is the only architectural treatise to survive from antiquity and is considered the first document of its kind on architectural theory.

“We have waited more than 2,000 years for this discovery,” said Fano Mayor Luca Serfilippi, who presented the find at a conference attended via video link by Italy’s Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli.

“We have found Vitruvius’ Basilica. I am proud of the work done,” Giuli said, adding that “this remarkable discovery truly represents something exceptional in the history of archaeology, architecture, and the urban morphology of Fano, whose enormous importance was already recognized.”

The conference was also attended by Marche Governor Francesco Acquaroli and Andrea Pessina, a representative of the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape of Ancona, Pesaro, and Urbino.

The minister drew a parallel with the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, described as the discovery of the 20th century. He also mentioned the discovery of the Lapis Niger in Rome, “the most important monument in the Roman Forum, featuring a stone block bearing the inscription ‘Re,’ providing dated evidence of the existence of the Roman Kingdom period.”

“The same has happened in Fano in archaeology and research,” Giuli said. “At this precise moment in our lives, history is divided into before the discovery of Vitruvius’ Basilica and after the discovery of Vitruvius’ Basilica. History books, not just our talented journalists, will record and introduce into history this day and everything that will be discovered and written about this exceptional find now and in the years to come.”

In 2023, archaeologists had first announced that they may have located the remains of the legendary Basilica of Vitruvius in Fano. The Roman architect of the 1st century BC was rediscovered by Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance figures, and his architectural treatise remained a classical text for centuries.