CHIUDI

Author: Adolfo Bellantuono

Subject
View of the remains of tombs on the Via Appia Antica, outside Porta San Sebastiano, from the series “Le Antichità Romane”.

Accession number RP-P-OB-39.460
Engraving
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Mogliano Veneto 1720 – 1778 Rome
ca. 1756 – ca. 1757
40.2 cm x 62.0 cm

Inscriptions
Top left: Tom. II. Upper right: XLVII. Bottom: VIEW of the Remains of some sepulchral Chambers, existing on the ancient Via Appia outside Porta San Sebastiano. A Chamber of three Compartments, one of which today rests underground. B Ruins of a very noble Villa of the ancient Romans. C Paving stones of the ancient Via Appia. Below right: Piranesi Architetto dis. ed inc.

Placement
Rijksmuseum

Credits
Rijksmuseum

References
H. Focillon, Giovanni Battista Piranesi; a cura di Maurizio Calvesi e Augusta Monferini; traduzione di Giuseppe Guglielmi, Bologna, 1967, p. 305.

J. Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi: the complete etchings, 2 voll., San Francisco, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1994, p. 456.

Subject
View of a tomb on Via Appia Antica, outside Porta San Sebastiano, with accompanying plan and description, from the series “Le Antichità Romane”.

Accession number RP-P-OB-39.505
Etching
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Mogliano Veneto 1720 – 1778 Rome
Around 1756 – 1757
39.4 cm x 52.0 cm

Inscriptions
Top left: Tom. III. Top centre: Scale in Roman Palms. Top right: IX. Bottom: A Plan of a Sepulchre outside Porta San Sebastiano on the ancient Via Appia in the Vigna Buonamici beyond Capo di Bove. B Entrance made by Modern persons. C Windows. D Courses of Tuff at front of the construction. E Elevation of the aforementioned plan, built of reticulated Walls. F Courses of Tiles. G Current level of the ground. H Courses of Tuff, in good part buried. I Section with Niches, the concave of which protrude outside the circumference of the Wall. K Lower underground level. L Part of the Walls shown in larger form. M Courses of the aforesaid Tuffs shown in larger form. The heads of them bound by means of oak Pins cut in dovetail, and by the finest Lime, so much that they unite, that one can hardly discover the connection. N One of the said oak Pins. O One of the Pieces of Tuff with the Fitment at the heads by the Pins, and with Channel, by which the Lime inserted into the connection. Some of the Ancients, reflecting perhaps on the vicissitudes of human affairs so often caused by the revolutions of the centuries, as they saw happen to the most powerful Nations, thought to make their Ashes safer by deposing them, rather than in superb Mausoleums, within abject Sepulchres, or by hiding them within rough Stones, and Boulders, and in places, where no one would ever have imagined such things could be contained there. Who could deny, therefore, that this and other abjectly constructed sepulchres could not be of qualified Personages. Below right: Piranesi Archit. dis. et inc.

Placement
Rijksmuseum

Credits
Rijksmuseum

References
H. Focillon, Giovanni Battista Piranesi; a cura di Maurizio Calvesi e Augusta Monferini; traduzione di Giuseppe Guglielmi, Bologna, 1967, p. 306.

J. Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi: the complete etchings, 2 voll., San Francisco, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1994, p. 481.

Subject
View of a tomb on Via Appia Antica, outside Porta San Sebastiano, with accompanying plan and description.

Accession number RP-P-OB-36.848
Etching
Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Mogliano Veneto 1720 – 1778 Rome
Around 1756 – 1757
35.0 cm x 23.6 cm

Inscriptions
Top left: Tom II. Top right: XXXVI. Centre: Roman Palms. Lower: A) Sepulchre’s plan along the ancient Via Appia, near the Vigna Buonamici. B) Entrance now partially ruined. C) Squared room with niches on the sides. D) Windows partially buried under the ruins. E) Vertical view. F) Boulder built in horizontal alignments of flint chip, lime and pozzolana. G) Actual country level. H) Travertine, now buried, that covered the external part of the sepulchren; the parts of travertine that remained out of the ground, have been detached from the boulder and taken away. Lower right: Piranesi Archit. dis. et’ inc.

Placement
Rijksmuseum

Credits
Rijksmuseum

References
H. Focillon, Giovanni Battista Piranesi; a cura di Maurizio Calvesi e Augusta Monferini; traduzione di Giuseppe Guglielmi, Bologna, 1967, p. 305.

J. Wilton-Ely, Giovanni Battista Piranesi: the complete etchings, 2 voll., San Francisco, Alan Wofsy Fine Arts, 1994, p. 445.

Subject
Photograph by Pompeo Molins, dated 1870. In the foreground we see the so-called Arch of Drusus, which still stands today near “Porta Appia” or “Porta San Sebastiano”, the monumental entrance of the Regina viarum as it arrives in the Capital. This is one of the best-preserved city gates, which owes its current name to the nearby Basilica of San Sebastiano. In Molins’ “action view”, two uniformed men look toward the camera: one standing towards image centre, another sitting on the left with a tired air. A third figure turns his back to the camera as he gazes towards the Appia Antica and the Roman countryside beyond. These could be gendarmes on duty at the guard stations of the gate, perhaps identifiable as Savoyards and so dating the scene after the taking of Porta Pia, or tax officers on duty at the customs house – where a cart is seen parked. Until the demolition of this structure in the early 1900s, it was precisely the presence of the duty officers in the piazza of Porta San Sebastiano that rendered it a very lively place, frequented by travellers, soldiers and merchants.

Accession number 5972 – Fototeca Unione
Albumen print
1870

Placement
American Academy Rome

Credits
American Academy Rome, Fondo Unione – 5972