To truly enter the heart of Roman Fano and admire its ancient ruins, it is necessary to descend two meters below street level. Here it is possible to discover the imposing wall structures found under the Church and Convent of S. Agostino which today constitute the archaeological area of the same name and enter an underground route to make a fascinating journey lasting more than 2000 years!
Already known for centuries past, the ancient Roman wall structures incorporated under the convent and church of S. Agostino have stimulated the imagination and aroused the interest of scholars and enthusiasts for centuries. Re-emerged between 1840 and 1842 following works, they have been identified alternatively with the remains of the famous Basilica of Fano designed by the architect Vitruvius and described in his De Architectura or with that temple of Fortuna which gave its name to the city. Today the remains of those ancient ruins are divided into a large external perimeter wall thirty meters long and four meters high, divided into pillars and windows, a radial structure composed of quadrangular pillars linked, via arches, to trapezoidal walls and a large exedra which is flanked by a porticoed area with a vaulted roof. The cryptoporticus had the function of supporting the upper floors, but also that of covering an important role in the economy of the functions practiced in the building, for which the suggestive identification with the famous civil Basilica created by the architect Vitruvius Pollione has been hypothesized. Another hypothesis, supported by medieval and Renaissance tradition, is that the temple of Fortuna stood here, the sanctuary complex dedicated to the divinity Fortuna. In this second case, the religious continuity of an area that would later welcome the medieval Church of S. Lucia and then that of S. Agostino would not be surprising. More recent excavations have brought to light everyday objects and coins which testify to a continuity of settlement from the late Republican era to the Middle Ages. Whatever the real origin of the ancient Roman ruins, a visit to the vast archaeological area of Sant'Agostino allows you to take an evocative journey into the city's ancient past.
