Arch of the Sergii – Golden Gate (Croatian: Slavoluk Sergijevaca) is an Ancient Roman triumphal arch in Pula – Istria – Croatia. This arch commemorates three members of the Sergii family, but specifically Lucius Sergius Lepidus, who is serving in the twenty-ninth legion and participating in the Battle of Actium, in 27 BC. This suggests an approximate date of construction: 29–27 BC. The arch stood behind the original naval gate of the early Roman colony. The Sergii reputation as a powerful family of officials in the colony and with their power for centuries.
The honorary triumphal arch is originally a city gate and its building as a symbol of the victory at Actium. As the main inscription claims, it is paid for by the wife of Lepidus, Salvia Postuma Sergia.
That’s the reason their names and carvings in stone along with Lucius Sergius and Gaius Sergius, the honoree’s father and uncle. In its original form, statues of the two elders flank Lepidus on both sides on the top of the arch. On either side of the inscription, a frieze depicts cupids, garlands and bucrania.
This small arch with pairs of crenelated Corinthian columns and winged victories in the spandrels is build on the façade of a gate (Porta Aurea) in the walls, and the part visible from the town-side is in full decor. The decor is late Hellenistic, with major Asia Minor influences. The low relief on the frieze represents a scene with a war chariot drawn by horses.
This arch has attracted the attention of many artists, including Michelangelo and Piranesi.