Altra Veduta Mecenate

Another Internal View of the Villa of Maecenas (Altra veduta interna della villa di Mecenate in Tivoli), “Views of Rome,” c. 1767, Etching on wove paper, Sheet/Page 53.3 × 70.7 cm (21 × 27 13/16 in.), Gift of Kathie and Alexander Dematatis, 1989, GW Collection (P.89.6.2)

By Jamie Lynch

Although Italian printmaker Giovanni Battista Piranesi was renowned for his aptly-titled series of etchings referred to as the Views of Rome, the series also encompasses scenes from beyond the ancient city’s boundaries. One such etching depicts the interior of a structure just outside the Italian town of Tivoli. In Piranesi’s inscription in the lower-right corner of the artwork, he captioned the piece as the “Villa of Maecenas.” The real-life structure is now commonly known as the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor. Originally printed in the 1760s, Another Internal View of the Villa of Maecenas in Tivoli portrays the building as it might have appeared during the first century BCE when Tivoli was known as the city of Tibur. Akin to the ruins of the actual Gardens of Maecenas in Rome, the villa Piranesi illustrates prominently features numerous archways. Specific interior areas, such as public taverns and residential spaces, are labeled according to Piranesi’s interpretation of their functions.

Indeed, the Villa of Maecenas was once a magnificent structure; however, during Piranesi’s time, it primarily served industrial purposes. Despite the building’s cultural significance as the ancient Sanctuary of Hercules, the government of Tivoli deemed it more economically beneficial as a site for iron and paper processing. The River Aniene, which flows adjacent to the building, provided power for the mills utilized by the various industries occupying the grand structure. While Tivoli’s residents predominantly viewed the structure as a factory rather than a sanctuary, Pirnaesi’s etching (along with others in the Views of Rome series) sought to restore this and other ancient Roman sites to their former glory.

The edifice depicted in this etching was erroneously labeled as the “Villa of Maecenas,” likely due to architectural similarities with Maecenas’ actual residence within Rome’s boundaries. Maecenas, an exceptionally wealthy Roman diplomat and patron, served as a political advisor to Emperor Augustus. Although criticized for his opulent lifestyle, Maecenas’ influence endured centuries after his death. As previously noted, the arches featured in the villa's interior in the etching are comparable to those remaining in Maecenas’ Roman residence. However, the artistic arches inside the building near Tivoli are notably more tunnel-like than those in the real-life ruins that stand atop Rome’s Esquiline Hill, a distinction Pirnaesi emphasizes in his etching.

Piranesi necessarily employed some artistic license in creating the etching since much of the actual building would have been occupied by industrial machinery when the Views of Rome series was published. The etching includes multiple figures in traditional Roman attire, with one particularly prominent figure. Using a chiaroscuro technique, Piranesi created a ray of sunlight to direct the viewer’s gaze toward this figure. While the rest of the building’s interior and other figures are visible in the background, they are not the central focus of the depiction. In the etching, the ray of sunlight illuminates a man with his back turned, holding a spear and gesturing to the side. Piranesi leaves this figure unlabeled, inviting an interpretation of his identity.

The building depicted was only identified as the Sanctuary of Hercules Victor after Piranesi’s death, as archaeological excavations commenced at the end of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, the structure’s function as a sanctuary was important within its location outside Tibur during the Roman Republic. The Sanctuary is referenced in the third book of Silvae by the Roman poet Publius Papinius Statius, wherein it is described as one of Hercules’ dwellings.

Piranesi’s etching of the Villa of Maecenas is a testament to his visionary artistry and historical insight. Though the building’s true identity eluded him, his work transcended mere documentation, breathing life into antiquity's weathered stone and forgotten spaces. Through his masterful rendering, Piranesi not only preserved a moment in time but also rekindled the grandeur of classical architecture, inviting viewers across centuries to step into the shadows of Roman glory. In this art piece, as in all his works, Piranesi reminds us that even in decay, these ancient structures whisper tales of a civilization’s zenith, forever etched into the collective memory of human achievement.

Curra, Edoardo, Alessandro D’Amico, and Marco Angelosanti. “HBMI between Antiquity and Industrial Archaeology: Former Segre Papermill and Sanctuary of Hercules in Tivoli.” Sustainability 14 (2022): 1329.

Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco. “Altra veduta interna della Villa di Mecenate in Tivoli.” Accessed July 20, 2024. https://www.famsf.org/artworks/altra-veduta-interna-della-villa-di-mecenate-in-tivoli-another-interior-view-of-the-villa-of-myceanas-in-tivoli-from-vedute-di-roma-views-of-rome.

Gowers, Emily. Rome’s Patron: The Lives and Afterlives of Maecenas. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2024.

Mari, Zaccaria and Alessandra Tomassetti. “Ancora Sulla Ceramica Decorata con Paste Vitree da Tivoli.” Archeologia Classica Vol. 59 (2008): 395.

Statius, Publius Papinius. Silvae, Book 3. Translated by J.H. Mozley. London: London Heinemann, 1928.

Villae Tivoli. “Sanctuary of Hercules Victor.” Accessed September 22, 2024. https://villae.cultura.gov.it/en/the-locations/santuary-of-hercules-vic….