Italy - Rome //Piazza del Campidoglio; Matthäus Merian il Vecchio (Basilea, 1593 – Bad Schwalbach, 1650) - CAPITOLIUM - 1621-1650

The engraving stands out for the very high quality of architectural and sculptural detail typical of the Merian workshop. At the center of the composition dominates the famous equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. The foreground is masterfully framed by the Cordonata staircase, guarded by the monumental statues of the Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux) and by the Triumphs of Marius. In the background the Palazzo Senatorio rises with its imposing bell tower and the fountain with the Goddess Roma.
Historical note of great collectible interest: The print captures a pivotal moment of urban transition. On the left, where the Palazzo Nuovo would be completed only in the mid-seicento, Merian still depicts the preexisting retaining wall with its monumental portal. This element testifies to the fidelity of the work to the sixteenth-century drawings circulating in Europe before the final completion of the square, making the exemplar a document of the highest historical value.

The print renders with great precision the ambitious classical iconographic and celebratory program designed for the square, which aimed to relaunch the grandeur of papal Rome through the symbols of ancient Rome.
1. The Dioscuri (Castor and Pollux)
• Position in the print: In the foreground, at the sides of the parapet that ends the ramp (Cordonata).
• Visual description: Two colossal symmetric statues of nude male figures in heroic pose, standing beside their respective steeds restrained by the reins.
• Historical meaning: The original statues (found in the sixteenth century in the Jewish ghetto of Rome) represent the mythical divine twins of Greco-Roman mythology, regarded as protectors of the Roman people. Michelangelo anticipated their placement precisely to serve as monumental guardians of the monumental access to the hill.
2. Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius
• Position in the print: Exactly at the center of the square, the geometric and visual nucleus of the entire composition.
• Visual description: Emperor Marcus Aurelius is depicted proudly on horseback, with his right arm extended forward in a gesture of pacification and clemency (adlocutio). The horse raises one foreleg, giving dynamism to the scene.
• Historical meaning: It is the most famous equestrian statue of antiquity, miraculously spared from medieval melting because it was erroneously thought to depict the first Christian emperor, Constantine. It was moved here from San Giovanni in Laterano in 1538 by the will of Pope Paul III.
3. The Triumphs of Marius (Trofei di Ottaviano)
• Position in the print: At the outermost ends of the external parapet (to the left and right of the Dioscuri).
• Visual description: Two imposing sculptural compositions that accumulate armor, shields, helmets, and fixed catapult arms on vertical trophies, flanked by figures of barbarian prisoners prone or bound.
• Historical meaning: These marble sculptures from the Domitian era were transferred from the nymphaeum of the Aqua Julia on the Esquiline hill in 1590. They symbolize military triumph and Rome’s dominion over foreign peoples.
4. The Statuary Group of the Palazzo Senatorio Fountain
• Position in the print: In the background, inserted in the niche carved under the double monumental staircase of the Palazzo Senatorio.
• Visual description: A central figure stands within a niche, symmetrically flanked by two colossal figures lying on pedestals.
• Historical meaning:
• At the center dominates the Statue of Minerva (subsequently transformed and revered as the Goddess Roma), who holds a spear and a globe.
• On the sides lie the river personifications of the Tiber (to the right, originally the Tigris modified by adding the Lupa with the twins) and the Nile (to the left, accompanied by a Sphinx). They symbolize fertility, greatness, and the origins of the Empire.