“The publication borrows from the two main interests of the author, the archaeological research and the polemical battles of the early 1760’s. His historical inquiry is here committed to supporting his view of the primacy of Roman builders. [The] plan is one of Piranesi’s most feverish fantasies, marshaling a huge range of imaginary constructs for the celebration of ancient Rome. Within this plan he proposes an urban and architectural landscape of the utmost complexity. Piranesi achieves this tour de force through a great variety of illustrations and employs every means of representation at his disposal.”-- Pollak, Martha D. The Mark J. Millard architectural collection. v. 4, Italian and Spanish books, fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Washington : National Gallery of Art ; New York : George Braziller, c2000, p. 312.

A highlight of this work is one of Piranesi’s most ambitious cartographic efforts: a 6 sheet (plates V-X) reconstruction of the Campo Marzio measuring some 1.35 x 1.17 meters when assembled, and showing the influence of the 1748 Giovanni Battista Nolli plan; Piranesi interprets the Campo Marzio as the valley between the Roman hills, including the area north of the Porta del Popolo.

"The reconstruction of the buildings in the Campo Marzio is based on accurate sources and also on the architectural fantasies of Piranesi's earlier production."-- Pollak, Martha D. The Mark J. Millard architectural collection. v. 4, Italian and Spanish books, fifteenth through nineteenth centuries. Washington : National Gallery of Art ; New York : George Braziller, c2000, p. 313.

Engraved title page, dated; on bottom margin of t.p.: Veneunt apud Auctorem in aedibus Comitis Thomati via Felici prope Templum SS. Trinitatis in Monte Pincio.

Added engraved title page in Italian, with bird's eye view of reconstructed Campo Marzio: Il Campo Marzio dell'antica Roma opera di G.B. Piranesi socio della real Società degli antiquari di Londra.

"Roberto Adam Britann[o?] architect[o?] celeber rim[o?]." Piranesi dedicated this work to the Scottish architect Robert Adam (1754-98), who had been closely involved in its preparation during the later 1750s. Adam’s name features prominently on the title page where Piranesi also proudly flaunts his own membership of the Royal Society of London. A medallion on the right of the large folding plate shows the two friends in profile.

Text within triple-line border; most plates signed "Piranesi F.", Piranesi's signature.

Plate II folded, plates V-X joined together to form one large folded plate, a plan of the Campus Martius; plates XXXI folded.

Plates XXII, XXXVI, and XLI not signed; Plate XXXI (folded) signed by Arnold van Westerhout (engraver) after Francesco Fontana (designer and draftsman).

Pages I-XII key to plans of the Campo Marzio on plates III-IV.

Pages i-xvii is an index of monuments on the large folded map of the Campo Marzio on plates V-X.

For bibliographic details see A.M. Hind, Piranesi (1922), p. 85.

Hind, A.M., Piranesi, 1922, p. 85

Focillon. Giovanni Battista Piranesi, p. 312-315

National Gallery (Washington), Mark J. Millard, 4 (2000), 91

Giovanni Battista Piranesi: the complete etchings, ed. K. Wilton-Ely (1994), 559-612

RIBA, Early printed, 3 (1999), 2551

Latin and Italian texts on facing pages.

Lib. copy size: 57 x 42 cm.