Discorso Sopra L'Antico Monte Citatorio Situato nel Campo Marzio, E d'altre cose erudite ad Esso Attinenti Estratto Da Piu Gravi Autori Con l'istoria di cio che e accorso nell'inalzamento del nuovo Edificio della Curia Romana E di quanto e accaduto nel Ritrovamento, & alzamento della Nuova Colonna Antonina. Il Tutto Descritto, Et Ordinato Dal Cav. Carlo Fontana E Dedicato Alla Santita Di N.S. PP. Clemente XI.
In Roma,: MDCCVIII., Nella Stamperia di Giuseppe Nicolo de Martiis, appresso la Pace. Con Licenza de' Superiori., [1708]
Physical Description
[4], 51, [3] p.: 324 mm. (Quarto.)
General Note
The Royal Academy's copy is without plates; but the copy in the Vatican Library is catalogued as having four leaves of plates, folded illustrations and folded plans.
Contents
[T.p., dedic.] - [Text] - Indice Dei Capitoli.
Responsibility Note
The decorations are unsigned.
The book is dedicated by Carlo Fontana to Pope Clement XI.
References
Guide di Roma, ed. Schudt (1930/R1971), 1093.
Summary Note
This is an enlargement of the original 1694 edition.
It is an account of Fontana's own work from 1691 to 1700 in transforming Bernini's Palazzo Ludovisi into a Papal Curia and on reconstructing the Montecitorio area of Rome. The first seven chapters describe the ancient arrangement of the area. The following fourteen describe the creation of the new Curia - in the face of some opposition (turbolenze, contrarietà, opposizioni, strepitose contradizzioni, rumori and insidie). Fontana concludes with an account of the removal of the column of Marcus Aurelius in 1705 by his son, Francesco (who died in the same year as this book was published).
There are no illustrations. The book is adorned with a title-page vignette, head- and tail-pieces and decorated initials.
Reproductions
The work was reprinted in 1967 in F. Borsi, Il palazzo di Montecitorio (Roma: Editalia); a photo-copy was also published in London in 1968.
A copy of this book from the collection of the Getty Research Institute has been digitised by the Internet Archive and made available online via the Hathi Trust digital library
Provenance
Acquired on behalf of the Academy in 1774 in Paris by its Treasurer, William Chambers (RAA minutes? 1774; RAA Cash Book 1775).
Binding Note
18th-century sprinkled calf, rebacked, with gilt borders on covers, spine gilt-tooled in 18th-century manner, and red morocco spine-label lettered 'Opere dal Ca. Fontana'. Bound with C. Fontana's Utilissimo trattato dell'acque correnti (1696) and Antio e sue antichita (1710).