1756
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Fragments of the Marble Plan of ancient Rome (from the Severan Marble Plan) is a 1756 by Giovanni Battista Piranesi, a Romanticism work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
This engraving shows a huge, crumpled sheet of white paper covered in tiny carved letters. It’s a map of ancient Rome made from actual marble fragments glued back together. Piranesi didn’t just copy ruins—he drew them as a giant jigsaw puzzle. The letters spell out streets, temples, and public spaces. It’s a snapshot of Rome’s lost past, hand-carved into copper then printed. Want to see more like this? Look up Piranesi, Giovanni Battista.
The print *Fragments of the Marble Plan of Ancient Rome* by Giovanni Battista Piranesi is part of *Le Antichità Romane*, volume 1 of a 27-volume folio series published in Paris between 1800 and 1807. The work reproduces sections of the Severan Marble Plan, an ancient map of Rome engraved on marble, offering a detailed archaeological study of the city’s urban structure. Originally issued in 1756 in four volumes, the project expanded beyond its initial scope, reflecting Piranesi’s evolving approach to documenting Roman antiquity. The plates were later reissued with alterations, including…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Giovanni Battista (or Giambattista) Piranesi (Italian pronunciation: ; also known as simply Piranesi; 4 October 1720 – 9 November 1778) was an Italian classical archaeologist, architect, and artist, famous for his…
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