Arco dei Gavi, Verona

The Arco dei Gavi is an ancient structure in Verona, northern Italy, situated at the beginning of the Via Postumia, just outside the Roman walls of the city.

[3] The arch no longer stands in its original position, as it was demolished by French military engineers in 1805, however, the numerous surveys that had previously been produced made it possible to reassemble it by anastylosis, a process completed in 1932.

[5] Erected along the Via Postumia as an isolated monument, it was later stripped of its decorative elements[6] and incorporated into the new city walls, which were built from the 12th century along the north side of the Adigetto depression, from the current Ponte Aleardi to the fortification that stood on the site of the Castelvecchio.

The new owner decided to reveal the ancient structure by demolishing the medieval walls and adjacent huts that surrounded the arch, after which new buildings were constructed at a respectful distance.

[7] Meanwhile, in 1812, the Veronese architect Giuseppe Barbieri had all the individual stone ashlars modeled in wood on a reduced scale, after which he reassembled the miniature arch with great care.

The project was approved in 1931, overseen by Aveva and Carlo Anti, while the missing attic level was redesigned by Ettore Fagiuoli, who based it on drawings by Andrea Palladio and the surveys carried out before the disassembly in 1805.

It is highly likely that Verona served as the hometown of the prominent Roman family, gens Gavia, which gained recognition in various Italian cities during their era.

[15] The almost complete loss of the main inscription in the frieze of the entablature, however, prevents us from knowing who financed the construction of the arch, whether it was the municipality or, as appears more probable, members of the Gavia gens.