Veduta della Piazza Grande

View taken from the famous Il viaggio pittorico della Toscana, printed in Florence for Giovanni Marenigh, 1817.

The work constitutes an extraordinary iconography of Tuscany; faithfully reproducing the plates engraved by the Terreni brothers during their journey in 1801, it was first published between 1801 and 1803 by Tofani in Florence and then by Giovanni Marenigh in 1817-1818 and in 1822 in this version reduced in size.

The abbot Francesco Fontani (Florence, 1748-1818), learned scholar, after his studies in the seminary of the Eugenian College, moved to Rome where he taught eloquence in the Bandinelli College. He dedicated himself to artistic and archaeological studies and, having returned to Florence, became Librarian at the Riccardiana, also dealing with the Accademia della Crusca. He was parish priest in the church of Santa Lucia dei Magnoli.