The Roman triumphal Arch of Trajan at Ancona was erected in the reign of Emperor Trajan (98-117 AD) in honour of the expansion of the port of the city and its defence at his own expense. The arch was the work of the Syrian architect Apollodorus of Damascus. Made from Turkish marble, it stands 18.5 metres high. The archway itself, only 3 metres wide, is flanked by pairs of fluted Corinthian columns on pedestals. The attic bears inscriptions and bronze figures of Trajan on horseback, his wife Plotina and sister Marciana. Intended as a landmark for ships approaching Rome's greatest Adriatic port, it has been recently restored.
