Arch of Germanicus, Roman triumphal arch in Saintes, France

The Arch of Germanicus is a Roman arch 15.80 m wide, 14.71 m high and 3.90 m thick, with two round-arched openings separated by a central pier. Fluted pilasters with Corinthian capitals frame the bays, and engaged columns with composite capitals stand at the upper corners. A carved entablature carries the dedication to Tiberius, Drusus and Germanicus.

Built in 18 or 19 AD, the arch was financed by Caius Julius Rufus, a third-generation Roman citizen of the Santones, and dedicated to Emperor Tiberius, his son Drusus and his adopted son Germanicus. It was a votive arch, not a triumphal one, marking the entry of the Via Agrippa into Mediolanum Santonum. Restored in 1666, it was saved from demolition in 1843 through Prosper Mérimée and Victor Hugo, then moved about 28 metres during quay works and restored again in 1851.

The name comes from the better-preserved dedication to Germanicus, while the worn attic text names Tiberius and Drusus. On the entablature, repeated on all four faces, the donor Caius Julius Rufus lists a Gaulish ancestry — Catuaneunius, Agedomopas, Epotsoviridius — and Roman titles. His family's progression from a Celtic-named grandfather to a fully Roman name shows how Gallic notables joined the imperial system.

The monument sits on Place Bassompierre and remains open to visitors throughout the year without any admission cost. Free parking areas nearby make it easy to reach, and the site is accessible on foot for all visitors.

The arch's carved inscription names its donor, Caius Julius Rufus, and lists his Gaulish ancestors back to Epotsoviridius. Rufus was a third-generation Roman citizen and priest of Rome and Augustus at the altar of the Three Gauls in Lyon. A gilded bronze horse's hoof found in the late 19th century suggests a statue of Tiberius on horseback once crowned the monument.