A

Abitazione - housing

Acquedotto - aqueduct (also simply referred to as 'Acqua') 

Ambulacro - ambulatory, in a cathedral the processional space at the far end of the church behind the altar and choir

Arcadia, Arcadi - Accademia dell'Arcadia, members called 'Arcadi', prestigious and well known Academy of literature and philosophy in Rome of which Piranesi was a member, considerable importance in Roman culture in 18th c., prominent intellectuals include Muratori, Gravina, Crescimbeni, founded by Queen Christina of Sweden

Arco, Archi - arches

Architrave - architrave, part below the tympanum (the triangular part above the columns in the pantheon for ex.) 

Arcuazione -  arcuation, the way in which a series of arches are built

Argine - bank, embankment, dam

Attico - attic (order of architecture), or lower wall above the cornice in classical buildings

Avanzi - remains, ruins 

Aja -  barnyard, farmyard, threshing floor 



B

Baloardo – bastion, rampart

Barbacani – Lower support wall 

Bassirilievi - bas reliefs

Bozza – boss, projecting stone, keystone 

Braccio, braccia pl. - literally 'arm', unit of measurement in early italian texts

C

Capitello, capitelli pl. - capital of a column

Casa - house

Cavi  - excavations or ropes, cables

Chiesa - church

Circo - circus 

Circonferenza - circumference

Cloaca - structures that formed the ancient roman sewage system

Collegio - kind of academy/college usually in monastic orders, the collegio romano was a jesuit institution that had a large museum of antiquities for ex.

Colonna - column

Cuneo - Voussoir, a wedge-shaped element, typically a stone, which is used in building an arch or vault



F

Fabbrica - building, structure

Fenili - spaces where hay was stored, in modern Italian 'fienili' 

Festoni - festoons

Finestra, finestre - Window, windows

Forami - type of hole or opening

Forfice – term used by Vitruvius, now called forbice, tool used in lifting/wedging 

Fornice - opening of an arch usually a passageway (the arch in the arch of Titus for ex.)

Foro - Forum

Fontana - fountain

Fregio - frieze 

Frontespizio - frontal part of architectural surface, usually part of a facade, or entire facade (also called facciata), used for first page in a book as well

G

Galleria - gallery (of paintings, statues) 

Granito - granite

Grottesco/grotteschi - decorative style of masks and other vegetal forms used to decorate ancient Roman buildings, popular in early modern period, literally 'grotesques' 

I

Incisione - engraving

Insigne - famous, renown



L

Lago - lake

M

Macigni - large blocks of stone, boulders

Maestà - majesty

Magazzeno - shop, store, storehouse, warehouse, shed, depot

Magnificenza - magnificence 

Marmo - marble

Monte - mountain, hill

Mosaici, musaici - Mosaics

Mura (pl.) - city walls

Muro - wall

N

Nicchia - niche

Nicchione - large niche

O

Orto - garden

oggidì (sometimes 'in oggi') - today, currently, nowadays, in present times

P

Palmo, palmi (pl.) - unit of measurement 

Peperino, peperini - type of grey marble common in Rome

Peristilo - peristyle, a colonnade surrounding a building or court, an open space enclosed by a colonnade

Perni - pivot, adjoining architectural element

Pianta -architectural plan, similar to 'blueprints', perspective is from above

Piazza - city square 

Piedistallo - pedestal

Pila - pilaster or well attached to the wall

Pilastri/pilastrelli - pilasters

Ponte - bridge

Profilo - cross section, side view, contour of an object

Pronaos - vestibule made of columns before the entrance proper to a building (the pantheon is a good example) 

R

Ripa - bank (along a river) 

Ristaurato - restored, rebuilt

Restituire - to restore, rebuild

Rostro - Latin Rostra, plural, a platform for speakers in the Roman Forum decorated with the beaks of captured ships, from plural of rostrum, an ancient Roman platform for public orators, the curved end of a ship's prow

S

Scarpellino – small chisel

Sedile - seat, cradle

Sepolcro - sepulcher, tomb  

Spaccato - section, cross section, plan

Speco - cavern, canal

Stadio - stadium, also a unit of measurement used in early Italian texts, most commonly texts of geography ie Ptolemy 

Stampa - print 

Stipiti - jambs

Stucco - type of plaster used typically in ornament or decoration 

T

Tazza - pool, fountain

Tegoloni - curved tiles, roof tiles specifically, tegula in latin, made of clay traditionally, marble, bronze, gilt, sometimes had insignia used for dating of sites 

Tempio - Temple

Terme - Baths

Tepidario - tepidarium, warm room of the ancient Roman thermae used to sit in

Tevolozza - bare type of brick 

Timpano/Tympano - tympanum 

Travertini - travertines, blocks of stone

Triclinio - triclinium in Latin, a couch extending around three sides of a table used by the ancient Romans for reclining at meals, more commonly refers to a dining room in ancient Roman houses

V

Vasca - pool, fountain

Vestigie - ruins, literally 'vestiges' 

Vicino - near, close by

Vigna - vineyard 




Guide to Italian and Latin Abbreviations

Abbreviations for Volumes

Cam^o Marz^o = Campo Marzio
Cps. M^s / Cam.^s M.^s / C.^us M.^us/ Camp. Mart.   = Campus Martius
A^a. R^e. = Antichità Romane   [Roman Antiquities]
V^e R^a  = Vedute di Roma        [Views of Rome]
V. = Vedi                                 [See]
Tom. or T. = Tomo                 [Volume]
1^o or P^o or pmo. = primo         [First]
2^o or S^o or Secd^o = secondo   [Second]  
3^o or T^o or Tzo. = terzo           [Third]
4^o, 5^o = quarto, quinto             [Fourth, Fifth, and so on]
Tav. or T^a = Tavola                 [Plate]
Fig. = Figura                            [Figure] 

Examples: 

A^a.R^e.Tom.I. Tav. 19. Fig. 2 = Antichità Romane Tomo I Tavola 19 Figura 2

A^a. R^e. T.^o I. T.^a 9. = Antichità Romane Tomo I Tavola 9

V. V^e R^a  = Vedi Vedute di Roma

Abbreviations in the Text

d.^to, d.^ta, d.^te, d. ^ti = detto, detta, dette, detti                            [aforementioned, called, the same]

sud.^to, sud.^ta, sud.^te, sud. ^ti = suddetto, suddetta, suddette, suddetti     [aforementioned]

med.^o, med.^a, med.^e, med.ⁱ = medesimo, medesima, medesime, medesimi [the same]

framm.^to, framm.^ti = frammento, frammenti                 [fragment, fragments]

lett^a, lett^e = lettera, lettere                                           [letter, letters]

n^o, nⁱ= numero, numeri                                               [number, numbers]

S. = San, Sant', Santo                        [St.]
S.^a = Santa                                          [St.]
Sant.^a = Santissima                            [Holy, Saintly, St.] 
S.^a M.^a = Santa Maria                         [St. Mary]
Ch.^sa = Chiesa                                     [Church]
Confr.^ta = Confraternità                       [Confraternity] 
Tem., Temp. = Tempio                       [Temple]
Conser. = Conservatorio                     [College/School] 
Magg.^re = Maggiore                             [Great, Main] 

S.^re = Signore                                      [Signor, Mr.]
March.^e = Marchese                            [Marquis]
Cav. = Cavalier, Cavaliere                  [Knight]
Ecc.^a, Ecc.^za = Eccellenza                   [Excellence]
Ecc.^e = Eccellente                               [Excellence]
Ill.^mo = illustrissimo                              [Most illustrious]

PP. = Padri or Papa/Pontifcio             [Fathers or Pope (depending on what word follows)]
SS. = Santi.                                       [Saints]
Pontific.^o = Pontificato                         [Pontificate]
Imp., Imp.^e = Imperatore/Imperadore[Emperor]
Sen. = Senatore                                  [Senator]

M.^te = Monte                                        [Mount]
P.^ta = Porta                                          [Gate, Door]
Cond.^to = Condotto                             [Aqueduct, Fountainhead]

Palaz.^o = Palazzo                                [palace]
V.^la = Villa                                            [Villa]
Anfit.^o = Anfiteatro                               [Amphitheater]

Campid.^o = Campidoglio                     [Capitoline Hill]

volgarm.^te = volgarmente                    [commonly referred to, known as]
comunem.^te = comunemente              [commonly]
meritam.^te = meritamente                    [justly]
particolarm.^te = particolarmente          [particularly]
finalm.^te = finalmente                          [finally]
anticam.^e = anticamente                     [in ancient times]
certam.t^e = certamente                       [certainly]
semplicem.^te = semplicemente           [simply]

iscriz.^e = iscrizione                              [inscription]

super.^e = superiore                             [upper, usually upper level or part]
infer.^e = inferiore                                 [lower, usually lower level or part]

Units of measurement 
pal. = palmi
br. = braccia

Abbreviated Names

Ant.^o = Antonio

Aless.^o = Alessandro

Aug.^to = Augusto

Dam.^o = Damiano 

Franc.^o = Francesco

Gio. = Giovanni

Vitr.^o = Vitruvio

L. = usually Lucio

M. = usually Marco

     

Common Latin Abbreviations

F., fec. = fecit                                                  [made by]
Del., delt., delin. = delineavit                          [drawn by]
Sculp., sc., sculpt., scolp. = sculpsit               [engraved by] 
            (In Italian, scolp. = scolpì)
Inc. = incidit, incidebat                                    [engraved by, incised by]
            (In Italian, inc. = incise)
Ex. or excud. = excudit                                   [engraved by, printed by]
Inv. = invenit or inventor                                 [designed by, originally drawn by]
Imp. = impressit                                              [printed by, published by]
Scrip. = scripsit                                               [text authored and/or engraved by]
C. Priv. = cum privilegio                                  [Privilege to publish]

S.P.Q.R = Senatus Populusque Romanus    [Roman Senate and People]

Pont. = Pontifex                                              [Pope]
Max. = Maximus                                             [Great]

Caes. = Caesar