Le antichità della città di Roma

Raccolte sotto brevità da diversi antichi & moderni scrittori

The Antiquities of the City of Rome

A brief collection of various ancient & modern writers

Bernardo Gamucci

The second edition of Le Antichitá della cittá di Roma was written by the architect and antiquarian Bernardo Gamucci, edited by Thomaso Poracchi, and published in 1588. This 200-page illustrated guidebook is divided in four sections or Quattro Libri. In this text Gamucci invites his readers to familiarize themselves with the antiquities of Rome. His work earned high praise when first published and is considered to be one of the most important Renaissance guides to Rome. It has been found in the inventories of various libraries of famous artists and architects throughout Europe including El Greco and Inigo Jones. The text provides explanations of ancient monuments and occasionally includes brief discussions of more recent works of architecture, including Donato Bramante’s Tempietto. The text is accompanied by numerous woodcuts made by Gamucci’s collaborator and compatriot Giovanni Antonio Dosio that serve as snapshots of the architecture and archaeology of the ancient city for sixteenth-century travelers visiting Rome. Published during a time of significant architectural and urban renewal of the city of Rome, contemporary readers of Gamucci will discover the city's state in the latter half of the 16th century through an exploration of his woodcuts.