The article is devoted to the ancient tradition in the European art and the impact of antiquity on our European identity. The issue of reception of ancient models in art, in particular in the architecture of the Middle Ages, thus the epoch that was chronologically closest to the heritage of the Imperium Romanum, has accompanied the author since the very beginning of her academic career. Such personal approach to the issue and strong belief about the significance of the accomplishments of ancient culture for the development of European artistic thought resulted in the fact that the author decided to come back to it. In spite of the passage of time, it is still a valid subject matter, consistently pursued by Polish and foreign researchers.