Presentation on Piranesi's Vedute del Campidoglio di fianco (1761)

1. Where were we?
Vedute del Campidoglio di fianco (1761)

2. What did I tell sofar?
• The Capitol in Roman times
• Michelangelo’s renovation
• How didrealistic, butdepict the site?
In general
Piranesi
with specific distortions,
especially the sculptural decoration
• Possible interpretation? as an icon for the
The sculpture on Piranesi’s print
achievements of the Roman’s

3. What will I present today?
• Refresh our view on the classical Capitolium
• Deepen our knowledge of the development
of the Campidoglio in Medieval and
Renaissance time
• With a focus on the role of sculptural
decoration

4. Main message:
The Campidoglio and its
sculptural decoration
play a key role
in the appropriation
of Roman power ....
... a role on which Piranesi continues to build ...
at least ... in a certain way

5. Mons Capitolinus in Roman times
• Smallest of the 7 hills and the
religious and political centre of
Rome
• Several important temples:
- Arx - where the omens were read
- Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus
- Temple of Juno
• Tabularium
16th century impression of Mons Capitolinus

6. The hill in Medieval times
« remaining a political centre »
• 12th century: Building the
Van Heemskerk, Capitoline Hill, ca. 1535-36
Palazzo del Senatore on the
Tabularium ruins
• Enlargements in 1299-1303 and
1348 (interior court, projecting
corner towers and a campanile)
• Ca. 1400: construction of the
Palazzo dei Conservatori, to house the legislators, major guilds and
bandieri (keepers of the banners of Roman quarters)

7. Key papal interventions
• Nicholas V (r. 1447-55) - remodelling of the
Palazzo dei Conservatori in the style of the
Roman Renaissance (arcaded colonnade)
• Sixtus IV (r. 1471-84);
donation of antique sculptures
to the Capitoline Hill
• Paul III (r. 1534-49) - transfer the
equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius
to the Capitoline Hill and commission
Michelangelo for a renovation of the area

8. Vasari’s Vite di Michelangelo
“The Roman people, with the sanction of that
Pope [Paul III], had a desire to give some useful,
commodious, and beautiful form to the
Campidoglio, and to furnish it with colonnades,
scents, and inclined approaches with and without
steps, and also with the further adornment of
the ancient statues that were already there, in
order to embellish that place.”

9. Michelangelo’s disegno
• Creation of two separate spaces,
with two flight of stairs
• Alterations of the facades of Palazzo
del Senatore and Palazzo dei
Conservatori
• Building of the Palazzo Nuovo
• Placement of the equistrian statue of
Marcus Aurelius in the middle
• Statues on the balaustrade
Plan of the Capitoline Hill, after
Michelangelo, 1567

10. Étienne Dupérac, Prepatorio drawing for the
Campidoglio, after Michelangelo, 1569

11. The Campidoglio and its
classical roots

12. “Michelangelo’s” Campidoglio
« a vision build in phases »
• 1538: Marcus Aurelius arrives (Paul III)
• 1539: first commission for Michelangelo - work on the facade of the Palazzo
del Senatore
• 1561 start of the building of the concordata (Pius IV)
• 1563 start new portico Palazzo dei Conservatori (G. Guidetti)
• 1554-59 construction of the balaustrada
• 1564-86 Giacomo della Porta oversees further construction, building on
Michelangelo’s plans
• 1570 reconstruction of the concordata
• 1650 Palazzo Nuovo
• 1928 construction of pavement following Michelangelo’s design

13. The first steps in pictures
Hieronymus Cock, Capitoline Hill, ca. 1549, Operum Antiquorum Anonimo, Frontal view of the Palazzo del Senatorio, with completed
Romanorum Reliquiae, Antwerp, 1562 staircase (c. 1555-56), Louvre

14. 2x Étienne Dupérac, München,
Staatliche Graphische Sammlung
1568 1583

15. Étienne Dupérac, ca.1590
« The definitive sculptural decoration in place »

16. View of the Campidoglio
1598-1603 (private collection)

18. Shifting accents in
sculptural decoration
• Sixtus IV (r. 1471-84): retribution of antique sculpture to
the Roman people as a “reparation of injustice” for the
destruction of antique sculpture by Gregory the Great
• Leo X (r. 1513-21): remembrance to the glorious history
of the Capitoline Hill
• Paul III (r. 1534-49): emphasis on the glorification of
exemplary rulers (emperors) and the continuation of
the Roman empire in the Christian Church, especially
through Pope “Alessandro Farnese”
• Conservators of Rome (after 1549): glorification of the
Roman Republic

19. Sixtus IV - 1447
« retribution for injustice »

20. Leo X - 1515
« glorious history of the Capitol »

21. Paul III - starting 1538
« glorification of exemplary rulers »

22. Conservators of Rome
« glorification of the Roman Republic
and the Roman people »
1582 1590

23. And then Piranesi arrives ...

24. Piranesi and the Campidoglio
« “good old friends” »

25. Trofei di Ottaviano Augusto (1753)

26. Campidoglio di fianco (1761)

27. Conclusions
• The Campidoglio and its sculptural decoration play a key
role in the appropriation of Roman successes and power
• It starts with a retribution (Sixtus IV), followed by a
rememberance of the great Capitoline history (Leo X)
• Then follows a personal glorification, emphasizing the
continuation from the Greek (Alexander the Great),
through Roman emperors to Alexander Farnese (Paul III)
• Which was followed by a communal glorification,
emphasizing the successes of the Roman Republic and the
Roman people (supported, so it seems, by Michelangelo)

28. Conclusions 2 & Q’s
• In the Vedute di Campidoglio di fianco (1761) Piranesi builds on this
appropriation
• He focusses on - stresses - the Trofei di Mario
• However, he doesn’t seem to stress the “republican value” of the
Trofei, but the artistic value
• Therefore, one could argue that Piranesi in the Vedute
appropriates “Roman artistic power” but not “Roman power”
• In doing so, he probably was also aiming at appropriating the
artistic power of the divine Michelangelo’s
• It remains unclear whether Piranesi was aware of the shifting
accents in sculptural decoration of the Campidoglio