Roma alla fine del Settecento. Cultura, storia e urbanistica

The work assumes the perspective of Rome in the late eighteenth century, the historical, urban and literary realities of which can be see through two different lenses. We are initially introduced to the gardens that hosted the Academy of Arcadia, which were located behind Palazzo Corsini, Palazzo Farnese on Palatine Hill, Palazzo Salviati, the Justinian Villas, San Matteo and Palazzo Ginnasi, moving on to explore the woodlands of Bosco Parrasio and the halls of San Carlo, the Borghese museum, the Library of Alexandria, the Holy Apostles, Palazzo Capizucchi and the Angelica Library. Afterwards, the text goes on to describe the places inhabited by Georg Zoëga between 1783 and 1809. The descriptions cover the Pantheon in San Lorenzo in Lucina, and go on to describe Palazzo Tomati, Palazzo di Propaganda Fide and Palazzo Altemps, not to mention Villa Malta and Sant’Andrea delle Frate. Subsequently, the text focuses upon the various meeting places and libraries. All these places are viewed in their historical perspective from modern times, in order to allow them to be explored taking into account the transformations that they have undergone over the course of more than two centuries. Mention is also made of the importance of Arcadian culture to the development of the Italian literary tradition. The presence of the French army in the city is also taken into account, with a description of the popular reactions to the killings of Basville and Duphot. Finally, reference is also made to a number of urban interventions that marked the city’s development, with buildings that can still be admired by visitors from all over the world, from the port of Ripetta, to the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the church of Santa Maria Maggiore, Piazza Sant’Ignazio and Villa Albani.