Sull’iscrizione di Adriano I

Pope Adrian I’s inscription, now visible on the front of the portico of St. Peter’s, despite being one of the most studied medieval epigraphs, continues to be an unicum within the European engraved production of the end of the 8th century. This article offers an accurate comparison of it with other contemporary inscriptions and advances the hypothesis that it could be a remake, datable to the middle of the 15th century in Rome and due to the deterioration of the original plate. The new hypothesis, very cautious, mainly aims at confirming that Adrian I’s inscription cannot be assumed as a prototype of the revival of the Roman square capitals in the Carolingian age.