Mainly known for his writings, Vitruvius was himself an architect. Frontinus mentions him in connection with the standard sizes of pipes (Aq. I.25). The only building, however, that we know Vitruvius to have worked on is, as he himself tells us (de Arch. V.i.6), a Basilica at Fanum Fortunae, now the modern town of Fano. The basilica has disappeared so completely that its very site is a matter of conjecture.
Vitruvius is sometimes loosely referred to as the first Architect, but it is more accurate to describe him as the first Roman architect to have written on his field. He was less an original thinker or creative intellect than a codifier of existing architectural practice. It should also be noted, that Vitruvius had a wider scope than would be usual for architects today. Roman architects practised a wide variety of disciplines; in modern terms, they could be described as being engineers, architects, artists, and craftsmen combined.