Arch of Augustus
Arch of Augustus is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Rimini audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~20 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Rimini Rimini guide
About Arch of Augustus
Built in 27 BC, the Arch of Augustus is the oldest surviving Roman arch in Italy, erected to honour Emperor Augustus and marking the northern terminus of the Via Flaminia.
The Arch of Augustus was erected in 27 BC by the Senate of Rome to honour Emperor Octavian Augustus, celebrating his road-building programme and his restoration of the Via Flaminia, the great consular road linking Rome to the Adriatic coast. It stood at the northern entrance to the Roman city of Ariminum, present-day Rimini, where the Via Flaminia officially ended after its 320-kilometre journey from the Forum Boarium in Rome.
Built from Istrian limestone, the arch consists of a single barrel-vaulted passageway flanked by engaged Corinthian half-columns, with an attic storey above bearing a dedicatory inscription to Augustus. The arch retains its finely carved Corinthian capitals and four relief medallions (clipei) of Roman deities, Jupiter, Neptune, Apollo and Minerva, a remarkable survival after two thousand years. Medieval builders added a gatehouse above it during the Middle Ages, which was later removed. The arch still serves as a landmark in the modern city, framing the road as it did in Roman times.
Did you know? The Arch of Augustus still preserves four relief medallions (clipei) depicting the Roman gods Jupiter, Neptune, Apollo and Minerva in the spandrels above its single archway.
How long should you spend at Arch of Augustus?
Plan about ~20 min at Arch of Augustus. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Arch of Augustus worth visiting?
Arch of Augustus is one of the 20 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Rimini, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Rimini
Hear the story of Arch of Augustus
Preview the Rimini tour free in the Gingerguide app.