16 March 1778 Monday
Vases, Candelabra, Grave Stones, Sarcophagi. Tripods, Lamps and Ancient Ornaments volume II
To His Excellency the Prince D. Abondio Rezzonico Senator of Rome Amateur of the fine arts
In deed of respect the Cavalier Gio. Batt(ist)a Piranesi D. D. D.
Ancient marble trophy, which can be seen in the Clementine Museum in the Vatican. It was found in the year 1772 in the excavations made by Mr. Gavino Hamilton near Cornazzano in an ancient plain, which is believed to belong to a large villa of some emperor or Roman citizen. It appears to have been raised in some respectable part of the House in memory of having won some Naval Victory, as this was found among the grand ruins of a magnificent Building. The Sculptor in this Subject has demonstrated the winged and unmasked Victory, which imperious presses, and leans on the great cuirass of the defeated enemy, hanging from a large trunk. In his right hand he holds a Serto, or Laurel Wreath belonging to the Victor. He then holds the Mask placed on the Head with the other hand, symbolically indicating his favor towards the Romans. The Naval Rostrum and the other Enemy Spoils subjected to the Feet demonstrate the oppression of the Vanquished.
Cav. Piranesi F.
24-25 y.o. Francesco Piranesi 1783
Il teatro di Ercolano
The Theater of Herculaneum to the Majesty of Gustav III King of Sweden Enormous Promoter of the Fine Arts Francesco Piranesi Architect Humble and Consagrate
Francesco Piranesi invented and engraved 1783
16 March 1812 Monday
Morning hazy, wind yet Eerly. I spent the morning in looking after Hunt's tenant to collect rent. Visited Esther Hill, where I learned that John Henry's children were expected with son Cory from N York -- the explosion[?] of the father's treachery etc. occupies all the newspapers and all[?] tongues -- these disclosures will operate differently from the expectations of the President etc. They effectually[?] reflect the change of a British party here willing to ...... up to Colonies etc.
16 March 2006
on Roman bath houses
Check out ancient Rome's Baths of Helena, now gone but Palladio recorded their remains. Helena was born in Drepanum, today's Yalova, Turkey, where there are still some of the best thermal baths of that region. The relation of major fault lines and thermal baths might make an interesting study.
The Imperial Baths at Augusta Treverorum, today's Trier, Germany, were the largest Roman baths outside of Rome, built under Constantine, Helena's son. Augusta Treverorum was Constantine's Imperial capital before Constantinople.
Historians are still not certain whether Constantine's second wife Fausta committed suicide or was killed in the steam room of a bath in Rome. Did this unfortunate event happen in the Baths of Helena? In any case, Constantine never returned to Rome after Fausta's death, although their daughter Constantina for sure did.
16 March 2020
Mary Boone's 180 hours of community service hours 62 63 64 65
16 March 2023 Thursday
Trenton trip.
I'm definitely not an historian, but I am a successful explorer of history, successful in that my explorations have led to actual historical discoveries. Actual historical discoveries are automatically synonymous with actually making history, are they not? The discoveries in this particular case, Piranesi's final project, are also automatically synonymous with changing history. And, finally(?), actual historical discoveries are automatically synonymous with some temporal control of the narrative.
It's things like that, that I'm now learning about discoveries, and, pleasingly, learning about discoveries comes with a high grade of things-not-known-before.
|