Arco di Riccardo (Richard's Arch), Trieste

The Old City (La Città Vecchia) section of Trieste is a maze of alleys and byways rich with the breath of time. Three of these meandering alleys debouch in the small, stone-paved Barbacan Square (Piazza Barbacan). The little square is lined with old, multi-colored buildings. Sticking out from the side of one of them is the ancient Richard's Arch (Arco di Riccardo).

The Arch is 23 feet tall and 17 feet wide. It was once part of the city wall, long since demolished. The date of origin is uncertain, though most agree it might be sometime in the first century BC. There is some ornamentation, possibly added in the first century AD.

It is thought that the structure was named for Richard I of England. Richard is said to have been a captive in Trieste while returning from the Holy Land. A more likely theory is the use of the word "cardo," meaning the main north-south road of Roman settlements. Or, it is from "Ricario Arch," Ricario was a neighboring courthouse.

The Richard's Arch was usually visible throughout the Middle Ages and sometimes incorporated into buildings. The western side was excavated in 1913. The eastern part remains snuggled into a modern building.