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The Digital Piranesi

Cross-section of the Preceding Tomb, on the Ancient Appian Way near the Buonamici Vineyards

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Cross-Section of the interior of the Basilica San Paolo fuori le Mura Spaccato interno della Basilica di San Paolo fuori delle Mura, eretta da Costantino Magno, divisa in cinque Navate co’sua Crociata. Ottanta Colonne di marmo greco, venato di vario colore, quivi trasportate dal Sepolcro di Adriano Imperatore, sostentano le Navate variando di grandezza, e lavoro le laterali da quelle della Navata di mezzo. Altre Colonne dieci di Granito sono sparse per la Crociata; intorno alla quale, come ancora intorno la Navata di mezzo cronologicamente disposti si veggono li Ritratti di tutti i Sommi Pontefici Romani con altre Pitture antiche gia quasi consumate dal tempo. Il Pavimento delle Navate è formato di rotti pezzi di marmo, levati dalle Rovine di altri Edificii antichi. Title and Key: Spaccato interno della Basilica di San Paolo fuori delle Mura, eretta da Costantino Magno, divisa in cinque Navate co’sua Crociata. Ottanta Colonne di marmo greco, venato di vario colore, quivi trasportate dal Sepolcro di Adriano Imperatore, sostentano le Navate variando di grandezza, e lavoro le laterali da quelle della Navata di mezzo. Altre Colonne dieci di Granito sono sparse per la Crociata; intorno alla quale, come ancora intorno la Navata di mezzo cronologicamente disposti si veggono li Ritratti di tutti i Sommi Pontefici Romani con altre Pitture antiche già quasi consumate dal tempo. Il Pavimento delle Navate è formato di rotti pezzi di marmo, levati dalle Rovine di altri Edificii antichi. Signature: Piranesi fecit Signature 2: Presso l’Autore a Strada Felice nel palazzo Tomati vicino alla Trinità de’ monti Title and Key: Cross-section of the interior of the Basilica San Paolo fuori delle Mura built by Constantine the Great, divided in five naves by its Transept. Eighty columns made of Greek marble, variegated with various colors, transported from the Sepulcher of Emperor Hadrian, sustain the Naves varying in size, and the weight of the lateral naves from those of the central Nave. Another ten columns of Granite are spread throughout the Transept; around which and around the central Nave, are portraits of all the Roman Supreme Pontiffs arranged chronologically with other ancient Paintings that have almost been destroyed by time. The Floor of the Naves is formed from broken pieces of marble, taken from the Ruins of other ancient Buildings. Signature: Made by Piranesi Signature 2: Published by the Author in the Strada Felice in Palazzo Tomati near Trinità de Monti.
This etching bears a unique title: rather than a “Veduta,” it is a “Spaccato” or Cross-section. Spaccato is a technical term Piranesi employs frequently in the Antichità Romane and his other archeological and architectural publications. It indicates a particular type of perspectival projection that is often planar and abstract in style, rendered to scale, and replete with measurements, annotations, and objective details in the key, as in the image below.
Similar to the image above, which shows the cross-section of an ancient tomb, the upper left corner features a “unique device of an architectural section through the nave wall” (Wilton-Ely 1978, 31), which reveals the precise structural and spatial dimensions of the aisles. Also similar is his use of different types of etching lines to indicate the texture of the wood, marble, stone, and brick. Through the use of sparsely punctuated lines, the upper level of the aisle wall appears as though it has been carefully sliced in half (see below). This visual emphasis reinforces the highly technical language in the text about the distribution of weight to sustain the massive interior composed of five naves and no less than eighty marble columns. Furthermore, the interior is rendered to scale in precise mathematical perspective (Wilton-Ely 1978, 29-31). While scale and perspective are often exaggerated in the Vedute di Roma, here, as in the Antichità Romane, accuracy, attention to scale, and textual details are prioritized. Indeed, Piranesi includes a lengthy excursus on the history of the church, as well as the methods and materials used in its construction: for example, the various colors of Greek marble and the reuse of marble fragments in the church floor. While this image shares many features with the genre of the archeological print, the variety of figures in the foreground, playful effects of light and shadow, and visual detail also show the vibrance of eighteenth-century life and tourism that are characteristic of the Vedute di Roma. (ZL)

To see this image in the Vedute di Roma, volume 16 of Piranesi’s Opere, click here.