The remains of the fabled Basilica of Vitruvius, the first century BC Roman architect who was rediscovered by Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance greats and whose treatise on architecture remained a classic text for centuries, may finally have been discovered at Fano in Marche, archaeologists said saturday. 

The Basilica of Vitruvius, which was mentioned in his treatise 'De Architectura' , may have been discovered during building work in the northern Marche coastal city, not far from Renaissance jewel Urbino, they said. The vestiges of an important building with a public function from the Roman era have emerged following construction work, in the area where, according to some experts, the famous basilica was once located.