This page was created by Erin Jones. The last update was by Zoe Langer.
View of the Temple of Concord
Though there are only labels for the ancient monuments in the key, the architectural history of the city is visible in Piranesi’s portrayal of different architectural styles. This juxtaposition of ancient and modern was a typical feature of the Roman urban landscape. Unlike his contemporaries, Piranesi often placed emphasis on this contrast, typically to demonstrate the majesty of ancient Roman architecture, but also to document the lived histories of a site in ways that anticipate the archeological survey. For example, the classical simplicity of the late Renaissance apse of the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione in the left background opposes the rich ornamentation of the ancient monuments. Medieval arches sprout out of the top of the architrave of the Temple as though bulbs of foliage, while temporary structures amalgamate below it—a product of increased urban expansion. The prominent inscription on the architrave of the Temple, “INCENDIVM CONSVMPTUM RESTITUIT,” further highlights this contrast by referencing the “restoration” of the Temple after the devastating fire of the Roman Forum early in the century. For Piranesi and his contemporaries, inscriptions provided a significant way to date structures. In Piranesi’s discussion of the Temple in his Antichità Romane, he uses the inscription and other features to determine the different architectural strata of the monument. Here, as well as in the following engraving of the Temple, such stratifications are made visible. (ZL)
To see this image in the Vedute di Roma, volume 17 of Piranesi’s Opere, click here.