The Triumph and the Threshold Ciriaco d’Ancona and the Renaissance Discovery of the Ancient Arch

Triumphal arches, understood in the broad meaning of the term including the honorary arches and city gates, are one of the building types that encountered particular critical fortune in the Renaissance, studied as they were for their inscriptions but also for their architectural and sculptural features. Ciriaco d’Ancona was one of the pioneers of these studies, and, according to Ciriaco’s biographers, it was the triumphal arch in Ancona that ultimately triggered his interest for antiquity and Latin language. The paper explores Ciriaco’s interest for arches on both sides of the Adriatic as well as his role in interpreting, imitating, copying, emulating or quoting these specific antique models.