Splendore Dell' Antica Roma: The Splendors of Rome, Circa 1625
Rome in ancient times was the busy center of the Roman Empire, one of the largest empires of the ancient world. Rome, the city, was said to be founded in 753 B.C.E. by brothers Romulus and Remus. Almost from the beginning, it was a city of building projects and political struggle. Roman holdings grew from a kingdom to a vast empire, then dwindled again, dividing into the Western Empire, which fell in the 5th century, and the Eastern Empire, which held on for another 1,000 years. The city of Rome is located in the Western Empire. Since the first century C.E., the city of Rome has been the center of the Catholic papacy, becoming the capital of the Papal States until 1870. In 1871, Rome became the capital of the kingdom of Italy, and in 1946, the capital of the Italian Republic.
A schism in 1377 brought about a 40-year period that nearly devastated the church. In 1418, the Council of Constance brought relative peace to Rome and marked the onset of the Italian Renaissance. A succession of wealthy popes transformed the city into a center of art, culture, and building projects. It also became a tourist destination.
Long a site for religious pilgrimages, Rome became an essential destination as the notion of the Grand Tour took hold among the wealthier citizens of Europe. The Grand Tour served to provide a liberal education for participants and allowed them to see not only the antiquities and ruins of Rome, but also the new splendors.
Quite a number of authors and artists took advantage of this Grand Tour idea, producing books that served as guidebooks on a broad range of Roman art and architectural features. One such book is Splendore Dell' Antica Roma, engraved by Giacomo Lauro. The book went through several iterations and titles. It was first published as Antiquae Urbis Splendor and issued in three books. Compilations were later published with the addition of a fourth part. Engraver Lauro illustrated ruins of Rome as well as reconstructions. He included secular buildings as well as religious structures, and also illustrated Roman customs, burial sites, and gardens. He even included several maps.
The Savannah Library’s Special Collections copy has several title pages, the first dated 1625 with a publication place of Rome. The book can be described as an exhaustive and influential work on the monuments and antiquities of ancient and modern Rome. Comprised chiefly of the 1625 second edition, with additional plates and indices from other editions, it appears to be an early compilation of material from the several early editions with a number of variations. The book has 160 plates, including maps and illustrated title pages. Text in Latin describes each plate. Additional information on the back of many of the plates describes the image in Italian, French, and German, as well, with titles in Italian.
Here, the book is presented leaf-by-leaf. The records are shown in sets of two images: the Recto and Verso of each leaf. The book is not paginated, so leaf numbers have been assigned by the library. Some of the images have been dated separately, and that date is recorded in the “date created” field. Information is also provided as to what the site represents today and its modern use.
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The Temple of Venus Genetrix in the Forum of Caesar. The Forum of Caesar is also referred to as the Forum Julium. Caesar envisioned the temple of Venus Genetrix on the eve of the battle of Pharsalus in 48 BC. He had already begun funding the building of a forum in 54 BC. Venus Genetrix was the mythical ancestor to the Julian line and is considered the goddess of motherhood. Both temple and forum were dedicated in 46 BC, but the forum was completed at a later date by Augustus. All that remain standing of the temple today are 3 tall pillars.
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The Temple of Juno Lucina. This temple was built in 375 BC in a small wood that had been previously consecrated to the goddess. The annual festival of Martonalia was celebrated in the temple and Servius Tullius ordered gifts (usually a coin) for new born children be placed in the treasury of the temple. The title of Lucina was given to Juno because of her association with childbirth and the lives of women.
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The Temple of Portunus is sometimes referred to as the Temple of Fortuna Virilis. Built around 100 BC, this small temple on the banks of the Tiber was dedicated to the Roman god of rivers and seaports, Portunus. It was built of tufa and travertine blocks which had been originally been coated with a fine layer of stucco. It was converted in the 9th century into the Church S. Maria de Gradellis which became in the fifteenth century S. Mary of Egypt.
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The Temple of Hercules in the Boarian Forum, now the Church of St. Stephen on the Tiber. The Temple of Hercules Victor in the Forum Boarium isone of the better preserved structure from Rome's republican era. The temple dates from 2nd century BC and was created by a Greek architect, Hermodorus of Salamis.
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The vestiges of the Temple of Hercules and the Temple of Fortuna Virilis located in the Forum Boarium. These would be the temples as Lauro saw them in 1625.
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Temple and Forum of Minerva (now the church of S. Maria Sopra Minerva). There is more than one temple dedicated to Minerva, and the one that is now Santa Maria sopra Minerva (means Santa Maria over Minerva) was founded by Pompey around 50 BC. It was referred to as the Delubrum Minervae. The temple was demolished beginning around 750 and the basilica that stands today was begun in 1280. The church is located in the Piazza della Minerva, and is the only existing example of a Gothic church building in Rome.
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The Temple of Silvanus at the foot of the Viminal Hill. There were at least two temples dedicated to Silvanus, on the Aventine Hill and on the Viminal Hill. Silvanus means Master of the Forest and offering to him often included fruit and milk.
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His Serene Highness, Prince Vittorio Amedeo Of Savoy, Prince of Piedmont. He was the Prince of Piedmont from 1607 to 1630 and the Duke of Savoy from 1630-37. He was titular King of Cyprus and Jerusalem. He was also known as the Lion of Susa. This leaf appears to be the introduction to the 1625 edition to the book.
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The Second Book of Ancient Rome by the same Author and Sculptor, Giacomo Lauro. The image is of the 1613 title page for the second book, published in Rome in 1613.
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Temple of the Benevolent or Good Goddess was located on the lower slope of the Aventine Hill. Little is known about the architecture of the temple except that it was walled. It was considered to be an important center of healing with stores of medicinal herbs that could be dispensed by the priestess.
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The Arch of Constantine is a triumphal arch. It was erected c. 315 AD to commemorate the triumph of Constantine I in his victory over Maxentius in the battle at the Milvian Bridge. The arch is located along the road taken by the triumphal processions between the Palatine Hill and the Colosseum.
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The Arch of Constantine and its Ancient Surrounds. The Arch of Constantine was located between the Colosseum and the Palatine Hill. The construction reused a number of sculptural elements and friezes from other monuments and buildings. It contains works created for or erected Marcus Aurelius, Hadrian, and Trajan.
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The Arch of Gratian. The Arch of Gratian, Theodosius, and Valentinian was erected between 379-383 AD. Its purpose was to mark the pilgrimage road from St. Peter's to St. Paul's. The arch is no longer standing, but it is thought that it was built into the bell tower of the medieval church of San Celso. The arch finally collapsed in the time of Pope Urban V.
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The Arch of Septimius Severus. This large and well preserved arch is in the Roman Forum. It was erected in 203 AD to honor Emperor Septimus Sevrius and his sons, Geta and Caracalla. The reliefs on the arch illustrate Severus's victories over the Parthians. When Caracalla succeeded his father, he had his brother killed and erased Geta's name from the monument.
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Remains of the Arch of Septimius Severus. During Lauro's time, and until the 18th century, the arch was covered with debris and soil. Excavation of the Roman Forum began in the eighteenth century and the arch is considered to be one of the most in tact monuments.
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The Triumphal Gate and Bridge. According to one source, the Pons Triumphalis has been destroyed. It may have been another name for the Pons Vaticanus. It may have been built by Nero or Caligula. It was probably destroyed in the 4th century. The bridge connected the Campus Martius with the Campus Vaticanus. It may have been used by the Via Triumphalis to cross the Tiber.
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Porta Naevia and Labicana, now Porta Maggiore. This double arch was built by Emperor Claudius over the Praenestina and the Labicana roads and carried 2 aqueducts, the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus. It was later restored by Emperors Vespasian and Titus. The arches were incorporated into the Aurelian wall. It is now called the Porta Maggiore. There are three inscriptions on the arch.
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Arch of Vespasian. Vespasian was the general who in 66 AD who crushed a revolt of Jews in Palestine and looted the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. The Romans brought back a huge collection of priceless artifacts and thousands of prisoners. When Nero died in 68, Vespasian returned to Rome to become emperor and the command went to his son, Titus. Titus succeeded his father as emperor in 79, but died in 81. In 82 AD, his brother Domitian built the Arch of Titus in his honor.
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Triumphal Arch of Augustus. There were possibly two arches of Augustus. This is known from their depictions on coins. Two possible dates exist, 19 BC and 29 BC. It was known that both had three arches and statues of defeated soldiers. The foundations of one of the arches is between the Temple of Julius and Temple of Castor.
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Domitian Arch, now the Arch of Portugal. While there is information about the Arch of Portugal in Rome, it is not usually connected to Domitian. It was a single archway with columns on either side and connected two buildings. It was called the Arch of Portugal because on the eastern side of the arch was the residence of the Portuguese ambassador. The arch may have served as an approach to the area of the Temple of the Sun. Dating this arch is difficult because it seemed to utilize reliefs and panels from earlier monuments.
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The Novatian Baths, now the Church of Saint Pudentiana. The Novatian Baths were also known as the Timotene Baths and were part of the house of the Pudens family. There is a legend that a Roman senator named Pudente gave Saint Peter shelter in 50 AD. His daughters, Pudenziana and Prassede asked that a church be built on the site of the house. Churches were built for each daughter. Inside the walls of Santa Puenziana is evidence of a bath house dating to Emperor Hadrian. The conversion process from bath house to church took place in the early 400s and the church is known for its mosaics. At the back of the apse, the original stamped brickwork from the bath are exposed.
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Baths of Antoninus. Emperor Antoninus was better known as Caracalla, and so his baths are known more commonly by that name. The ruins of the baths are well preserved with many of the mosaics in tact. Building began in around 212 AD. The baths had 4 levels, 2 above ground and 2 below. There were cold. tepid, hot, steam, and open air baths available and the baths could accommodate 1600 people at one time in the various baths.
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The vestiges of the Baths of Antonius. The baths seen in ruin. Quite a bit of the the baths still remain, though they were a ruin at the time of Lauro.
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The Baths of Nero and Severus Alexander, later the Church of Saint Eustace. The Baths of Nero were constructed near the Pantheon by Nero in 64 AD. They were said to be very innovative in design. The baths were rebuilt in 227 by Alexander Severus so sometimes called Baths of Alexander. The water was supplied by the Aqua Alexandrina.
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- English
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