In the late Duecento Veneto and Lazio, a faint memory of two other families weaves itself into the long history of the Scrovegni Chapel: the Dalesmanini, a Paduan banking family and the former owners of the arena, and the Frangipani, an old noble Roman family whose name is connected with papal history. In the north of Italy, the Dalesmanini family palace was situated in Padua’s ancient Roman arena until Enrico Scrovegni financially ruined his rivals and eventually acquired the arena, complete with their residence. Down in Rome, several branches of the Frangipani resided in their prestigious urban estate over the Velia in at least three family towers. Positioned between the Colosseum and the Frangipani family church, Santa Maria Nova, their palace’s walls incorporated the Arch of Titus. This architectural ensemble would provide a model that Scrovegni could simulate in Padua for himself, both materially-visually – when he merged Scrovegni Palace with his chapel in the ruins of the Paduan arena – and verbally – when the extensive text of the inscription celebrated his act of triumphing over ancient heathen forces as well as his local predecessors.