The Roman antiquities, t. 4, Plate XXX 

This cross-section of a Roman building, etched by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, presents us with a fascinating glimpse into antiquity. Arches, depicted here in a state of ruin, served as both structural support and symbolic gateways in Roman architecture, and they are key in understanding its engineering prowess. The arch transcends mere functionality; it echoes in triumphal arches, aqueducts, and even church architecture across Europe. From ancient Rome, the arch traveled through the ages, appearing in the Gothic cathedrals of the medieval period, and in various forms in the Renaissance, becoming more than just a shape. It is a symbol of aspiration, an upward-reaching ambition, a connection between the earthly and the divine, deeply rooted in our collective memory. The crumbling stones, the overgrowth of vegetation, are the emotional language of ruins, triggering a mix of melancholy and awe, reminding us of the passage of time and the transience of human achievement. These fragments invite us to reconstruct, in our minds, the grandeur that once was, engaging our subconscious desire to preserve and understand our connection to history.