Fano, 2026: the basilica described by Vitruvius is found
From the search for a lost building to the official January 2026 announcement: the Piazza Andrea Costa discovery changes the story of Roman Fano.
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19 January 2026: the story changes
For many years Vitruvius’s basilica in Fano was described as a lost building. On 19 January 2026 Italy’s Ministry of Culture announced that remains in Piazza Andrea Costa had been identified as the basilica described in De architectura, opening a new chapter in a centuries-old search. [1]
The archaeological authority confirmed this connection between text and physical evidence on 20 January. Identification does not mean every architectural detail has been reconstructed: excavation and material study continue to address the plan, phases and relationship with the Roman city. [2]
Why Vitruvius makes Fano special
Vitruvius’s treatise transmitted ideas about proportion, construction and architecture. Fano’s basilica connects that written legacy with a building the author described as his own. Its discovery therefore matters to architectural history as well as local history. [1]
A Roman basilica should not automatically be imagined as a church. The word also describes civic buildings of ancient cities. Distinguishing its Roman meaning from modern usage helps connect the surviving form with the urban functions for which it was designed.
Following a discovery responsibly
A discovery does not guarantee admission to an excavation. In May 2026 the Ministry still referred to the Piazza Andrea Costa archaeological site. Check current municipal and archaeological notices, distinguishing special openings from a permanently available museum route. [3]
Meanwhile, explore Fano’s centre and accessible Roman remains. The Arch of Augustus is a recognisable starting point. The basilica adds a question to your walk: how much of the ancient city survives beneath today’s, and how can a discovery change what we think we know?