Remains of only building by Vitruvius found after centuries of searching

"The only building known to have been designed by Vitruvius himself was found under Piazza Andrea Costa in a preventative archaeology excavation before redevelopment. Unlike the ancient public building found in 2023 which was speculated to be the long-sought basilica, the newly-discovered structure matches the detailed description in Vitruvius' De Architectura. The accuracy with which the remains found coincided with Vitruvian descriptions left experts astonished."

"Indeed, Vitruvius had described a building with a rectangular plan and a specific arrangement of columns: eight on the long side and four on the short side, with the omission of two columns at the point of facing the forum. Surveys conducted in the field showed a very precise correspondence with these data, and confirmed the gigantic proportions of the work, which included columns about five feet in diameter and an overall height approaching fifteen feet."

"The crucial moment in the research was marked by what archaeologists called the litmus test. Through a targeted survey in Piazza degli Avveduti, carried out following the planimetric projections deduced from the treatise, the fifth corner column was found exactly where it was planned. This element, equipped with pillars on two sides to support the upper floor, provided definitive confirmation of the architectural layout."

Excavations beneath Piazza Andrea Costa in Fano revealed the remains of a first-century B.C. basilica attributed to Vitruvius. The structure exhibits a rectangular plan with eight columns on the long sides and four on the short sides, omitting two columns facing the forum, precisely matching De Architectura’s specifications. Field surveys confirmed colossal dimensions, with column diameters around five feet and heights approaching fifteen feet. A targeted survey in Piazza degli Avveduti located the fifth corner column exactly as projected, and its pillars supported an upper floor, confirming the planimetric layout. Excavations also exposed a Roman-era plastered perimeter wall and floor preparation layers, while the original flooring was lost to later urban construction.

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