Arco dei Gavi, Verona from Adige River

The architect left his signature in two inscriptions on the inner face of the pillars, which allows us to know his name, an extremely infrequent case in Roman architecture.

The Latin inscription reads: L(UCIUS) VITRUVIUS L(UCI) L(IBERTUS) CERDO ARCHITECTUS.

The double signature was designed to be read both when entering and leaving the city, implying the architect was so famous that the municipality permitted or even requested his double signature.

The rediscovery of the name of the Roman architect, probably thanks to Andrea Mantegna, who reproduced the epigraph inside the Ovetari Chapel in Padua, was a pivotal moment for artists and architects of the Renaissance era.

This was also due to the arch’s appeal to the prevalent taste and architectural rhythm of the time, which differed from other Veronese monuments, such as the nearby Iovia gate.