19th century, Views of Rome during the Roman Republic of 1849

19th century Views of Rome during the Roman Republic of 1849 (2) Oil on canvas, 56 x 92 cm With frame, 65 x 102 cm The pair of canvases under examination, of remarkable artistic quality, refers to a precise historical moment to be identified in the Roman Republic of 1849. In both views appears the figure of Giuseppe Garibaldi, clearly distinguishable in his legendary red shirt and in the typical military garb. In the painting depicting the Colosseum, the general is shown sitting next to a Brazilian standard-bearer, the latter brought to Rome following the previous campaign in Uruguay in 1848. In the second, however, the protagonist appears thoughtful and desolate, in reference to the defeat that occurred with the siege of Rome by the French led by General Oudinot at dawn on June 3, 1849: after about a month of relentless fighting, Garibaldi attempted the last march, descending to Cesenatico, where he captured a flotilla of fishing boats and embarked for Venice. Here, intercepted by the Austrian fleet, the fugitives dispersed. The pair under examination, therefore, not only represents an important testimony of a cross-section of Italian history, but also stands out as a superb masterpiece of landscape painting. Referring to the tradition of Grand Tour views, in fact, the artist wants to restore a glimpse of the Roman Forum during the 19th century, when a large part of the archaeological evidence was still buried. In fact, before the excavations, the entire area was known as Campo Vaccino, an area used purely for grazing sheep and cows. Something changed, however, already at the beginning of the 19th century, with the French domination in Rome, with which they began to dig to bring to light that treasure which is the historical and archaeological heritage of the Urbe. With the beginning of the 20th century, the true era of archaeological excavations in the forum began with figures such as Ridolfo Lanciani (a pioneer of Roman archaeology) and Giacomo Boni, a great and brilliant archaeologist who dedicated practically his entire life to the Roman Forum and the surrounding area. What is observed in the painting is a grassy clearing from which arise some of the most important monuments of the forum. On the right we see a small glimpse of what was the Curia: the oldest seat of the Senate, founded by the third king of Rome, Tullus Hostilius. Immediately next to it is the imposing mass of the facade of the church of Saints Luke and Martina martyrs, a masterpiece of Roman Baroque whose origins date back to the 7th century. Beyond the Mamertine Prison and the church of San Giuseppe dei Falegnami stands the grandiose Arch of Septimius Severus; erected in 203 AD to glorify the military victories of Emperor Septimius Severus and his sons Caracalla and Geta. The arch was used for a ritual of purification every time the army returned victorious from a battle: passing underneath and setting foot again on the sacred soil of Rome, the army and the general who had led it were purified from the blood of the enemies. The three columns immediately next to it belong to the Temple of Vespasian and Titus, while the monumental eight columns belong instead to the Temple of Saturn (god of grain and agriculture), one of the oldest sacred places built in the surrounding area of the Roman Forum. On the far left of the painting, on the other hand, the Column of Phocas, in honor of the homonymous Byzantine Emperor, stands tall and solitary. The view is finally dominated by the mass of the Tabularium, which stands on the Capitoline Hill. The building was conceived as a true state archive, a place for the preservation of public documents, Senate decrees and peace treaties. Currently, the upper part renovated by Michelangelo houses offices of the Municipality of Rome. The Flavian Amphitheater, better known as the Colosseum, represents the emblem of ancient Rome, soaring like a stone colossus in the collective memory. Its fame far surpasses that of any other monument in the Eternal City, emerging not only as vestiges of a glorious past, but as a tangible symbol of imperial ideology. The construction of the Colosseum, called by this name because of a colossal statue of Nero that stood nearby, began under the Emperor Vespasian in 70 AD, was completed by his son Titus in 80 AD with the official inauguration on April 21. Further changes were made during the reign of Domitian in 90 AD, consolidating the structure and expanding its magnificence. A symbol of the glories of the empire, the Amphitheater has changed its face and its function over the centuries, offering itself as a structured but open space to the Roman community. In 438, with the abolition of gladiatorial games at the behest of Valentinian III, the amphitheater underwent a slow and progressive decline to the point of being used in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as a quarry of materials, also used for the construction of St. Peter's Basilica, and as a shelter for animals and a site for craft workshops and homes, while long is the process of its Christianization. You cannot talk about the Colosseum without mentioning the Arch of Constantine, which has flanked it since 315. Built to commemorate Constantine's victory over Maxentius, which took place on October 28, 312 AD in the Battle of Ponte Milvio, it was made in part by reusing materials and architectural elements from older imperial monuments, belonging to the ages of Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. The arch has three arches: the central one, wider, has a rich relief decoration on all sides. Above the minor arches, the enterprises of Constantine are narrated in the campaign against Maxentius. Higher up, in the medallions of the Hadrianic age, scenes of hunting and sacrifice are represented. In the attic, eight statues of Dacians, from the Forum of Trajan, stand out, flanking the long inscription and the large panels of the period of Marcus Aurelius, with episodes of the Germanic war. The bases of the Corinthian columns are decorated with allegorical figures.