The Arco di Riccardo is one of the oldest and most fascinating Roman monuments in Trieste, located in the heart of the Città Vecchia, in piazza Barbacan. This arch, about 7.2 meters high and 5.3 meters wide, represents one of the rare visible testimonies of the Roman Tergeste and offers an extraordinary cross-section of the urban history of the city.
Origins and function
The arch was probably built between 33 and 32 BC, during the period of Octavian Augustus, as part of the city walls of the Roman colony of Tergeste. According to most historians and archaeologists, the Arco di Riccardo was one of the main urban gates, perhaps the western gate, which opened along the northwestern slope of the hill of San Giusto.
- Some more recent research hypothesizes that it could also have been the monumental entrance to a sacred area dedicated to the Magna Mater, whose sanctuary stood nearby.
- The structure has a single archway, with an upper crowning without decorations, flanked by pilasters surmounted by Corinthian capitals and, originally, by a coffered ceiling.
- The arch, although incorporated over the centuries by subsequent buildings, has always remained visible and represents a point of reference in the urban fabric of the ancient and modern city.
Excavations and conservation
In 1913 important archaeological excavations were conducted that allowed the western pier of the arch to be brought to light and the surrounding area to be explored.
- Remains of buildings and structures from the Roman era emerged.
- The eastern pier, on the other hand, is still today partially incorporated into a modern building.
- The arch stands out for its solidity and strategic position, which has guaranteed its survival even during the profound urban transformations of the medieval and modern city.
Etymology of the name and legends
The origin of the name “Riccardo” is the subject of various interpretations.
- The popular legend connects it to Riccardo Cuor di Leone, king of England, who is said to have been a prisoner in Trieste during his return from the Holy Land, but this version finds no historical evidence.
- More accredited is the theory that the name derives from a corruption of “Arco del Cardo”, in reference to the cardo maximus, one of the two main streets of Roman cities, which passed right through this area.
- Another hypothesis connects it to the medieval magistracy of the “ricario”, whose seat was located nearby.
The monument today
The Arco di Riccardo, set between historical buildings and modern venues, is today one of the symbols of Roman Trieste and a point of reference for citizens and visitors.
- Its presence, almost “hidden” among the houses, testifies to the continuity of urban history and the stratification of eras and cultures that characterizes the city.
- The arch is freely visitable and represents a fundamental stop for those who wish to discover the ancient roots of Trieste.
The Arco di Riccardo thus remains a bridge between past and present, between myth and reality, between the Roman Tergeste and contemporary Trieste.