The Discover of Piranesi's Final Project . . . notes
2022.06.17
The whole complex of tomb, circus and dining hall is nothing less than a gigantic machine "which facilitates the passage from this life to the next." What Piranesi, more than likely, astutely recognized however, is that he had already designed a similarly programmed group of buildings, the Bustum Hadriani within the 'Ichnographia Campus Martius.'
Piranesi found confirmation that he was correct in his Bustum Hadriani "reconstruction" of the munus.
[if only Piranesi knew the (so-called) Circus of Caracalla was really the Circus of Maxentius--footnote]
Piranesi was completely correct about the tomb-circus munus relationship except for the symmetry of the circus plan [within the Ichnographia]
and
this resolute reassurance of Piranesi's "reconstruction expertise or ability or skill/talent or confidence convinced Piranesi of the need/plausibility/appropriateness of the Ancient Circuses project.
Read again what Piranesi wrote about the Circus of Caracalla.
ancient circuses
plan, details and divisions of the circuses
maximus - caracalla - eliogabalus - flaminius - flore - nero - salust - hadrian, still unpublished
The Circus of Caracalla being the best preserved, we will give the geometric and perspective details, the various restorations, the bleachers, the enclosure around which the chariot race took place, the boxes intended for the magistrates and the emperors. (The latter often took pleasure in racing themselves, driving a quadriga, four-horse chariot); the enclosure from which the tanks left. Besides the ornaments, etc., the bas-reliefs will also be mentioned, in order to make known more positively the uses and the manners adopted for the race. Curious and interesting work.
A volume containing 120 plates
A volume of explanations.
Other than the correct plan formation of the circus, the 'plan...outside the Porta S. Sebastiano' offers further inimitable information. Completely unawares, Piranesi recorded the munus, the funeral games site, in honor of Valerius Romulus, the young son of emperor Maxentius, who died 309 at around the age of fifteen. Valerius Romulus was buried in a cylindrical temple structure surrounded by a rectangular arcade, and the rest of the ruins are very likely the remains of the dining hall where the munus came to an end. This whole complex of tomb, circus, and dining hall is nothing less than a gigantic "machine" which facilitates the passage from this life to the next. What Piranesi did recognize* however, is that he had already imaginatively* reconstructed a similarly programmed group of buildings, the Bustum Hadriani within the 'Ichnographia Campus Martius', and finding an actual munus site along the Appian Way wholly* confirmed the rightness* of Piranesi's own reconstructive design intuitions* regarding* the correct*/proper* architectural manifestation of the munus, except, of course, the intentional*/functional* asymmetry of the circus.
2022.06.19
What Piranesi recognized, however, is that he had already inventively reconstructed a similarly programmed group of buildings, the Bustum Hadriani within the 'Ichnographia Campus Martius', hence finding an actual munus site along the Appian Way positively confirmed the veracity of Piranesi's own reconstructive design intuition with regard to the proper architectural manifestation of a munus--correct and proper in all respects except for, of course, the functionally intended asymmetry of the circus plan.
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