View of the Capitol, reproduction of Giovanni Battista Piranesi

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Giambattista Piranesi's work "Veduta del Romano Campidoglio con Scalinata che va alla Chiesa d'Araceli" (View of the Roman Capitol with the Steps Leading to the Church of Aracoeli) is an engraving that offers a fascinating glimpse of 18th-century Rome, as well as a reworking and reinterpretation of the Capitol, a place that underwent significant transformations over the centuries.

The Capitoline Hill, one of the seven hills of Rome, was a nerve centre of power and religion from antiquity. In Roman times it housed important temples such as that of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. In the Middle Ages, however, the Capitol went through a period of decline and neglect, becoming a place of ruins and pasture.

Its revival began in the 16th century, when Pope Paul III entrusted Michelangelo Buonarroti with redesigning the square. Michelangelo's project, although not fully realised according to his original intentions, radically transformed the appearance of the Capitol.

The square was oriented towards St Peter's, symbolically towards the new centre of papal power, and was surrounded by new palaces: the Palazzo Senatorio, the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo. The famous ramped staircase of the Cordonata, designed so that it could also be climbed on horseback, led gently up to the square.

Piranesi's engraving focuses on the staircase leading to the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, another imposing flight of steps alongside, built in 1348. This staircase was a steeper and more direct route to the church, a symbol of popular devotion.

Product specifications

Print: handmade Amalfi paper with frame
Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in)
With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in);
Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges, handmade beech wood frame