Description
Templum Vaticanum et ipsius origo cum Aedificiis maximè conspicuis antiquitus, & recens ibidem constitutis. Opus in septem libros distributum, Latinisque literis consignatum a Joanne Jos. Bonnerue de S. Romain. (Il Tempio Vaticano e sua origine con gli edifici più cospicui antichi e moderni)
Roma, Gio. Francesco Bagni, 1694
In 2°, (16) ll. (included the two titles), 489 (1) pp., (14) ll., double title in Latin and Italian, both with typographic vignette, 79 engraved plated, of which 69 full page and 10 folded, half contemporary vellum.
Comments:
First edition. The rich iconography is drawn by Carlo Fontana and engraved by Alessadro Specchi. The work is divided into 7 books: the I deals with the ancient site of St. Peter, the II describes the church built by the Emperor Constantine, the III outlines the renown transportation of the obelisk and his rise in St. Peter’s square in 1585, the IV describes the Bernini’s Colonnato, the V talks about the Fabbrica of St. Peter, the VI proposes a comparison between the costs of the St. Peter’s and the Solomon Temple’s construction, the VII compares the Vatican temple with Florence’s Duomo and Rome’s Pantheon. The monumental work remains a primary text for the history of Italian architecture, triggering immense interest and admiration among architects and art lovers during Fontana’s time.
