Almae Urbis Divi Petri Veteris Novique Templi Descriptio

Engraving, 1590, after Tiberio Alfarano (1525-1596).

Lettered, signed and dated at bottom margin: Cum Privilegio Sum[m]i Po[n]tific[e] per An[n]os X/ & Sub Excommunicationis Poena./ Romae Anno Domini M.D.L.XXXX./ Tiberii Alpharani Hieracen. Authoris/ Natalis Bonifacius Sibenicen. Incidebat/ Cum Licentia Superiorum.

This plan of the new basilica of St. Peter's superimposed over the ancient structure was meant to be part of a book, De basilicae Vaticanae antiquissima et nova structura, by the cleric Tiberio Alferano. Although the manuscript was completed in 1582, the book was not published until 1914. This extremely detailed plan, however, was designed and published by Alfarano, who engaged the engraver Natale Bonifacio, famous for map engraving, and obtained a papal privilege for the production in 1589. This image was derived from a drawing prepared by Alfarano, who had gathered documentation on St. Peter's Basiica and recorded its measurements. Lettered with the title at top, 171 identifications are keyed to the image along the sides. The print is dedicated to Giovanni Evangelista, Cardinal Pallotta in a decorative tablet at the right of the plan, surmounted by the cardinal's coat of arms.

“Since the time of Julius II (1503-13), at the beginning of the sixteenth century, the new church of St Peter had been rising. Large parts of the venerable early Christian church were demolished early on in the process, leaving the nave, and other parts to the East of the original transept arms still standing. As work proceeded the whole of the remainder was threatened with demolition. Tiberio Alfarano was one of the beneficed clergy of St Peter's from 1567, but he had probably been attached to the church in different capacities since the mid 1540s; he died in 1596 (Cerrati p.xii-xiv). He had started work collecting information on St Peter's in the late 1550s or 1560s, in the context of controversies about the relative primacy of the Lateran and Vatican basilicas; disputes that were only resolved by a bull of Pius V in 1569. As part of this work, he had begun to prepare a plan, taking careful measurements and working out the relationships of parts. He completed a hand-drawn plan in 1571, comparing the old and new Basilicas, using Dupérac's engraving of 1569 as the basis (the plan survives and was reproduced by Cerrati, 1175 mm x 665 mm; Cerrati p.xxvii-xxviii and plate II). He recorded having lent this plan to Martino Lunghi, who copied it and wanted to publish it. The present etching derives from a smaller drawing that Alfarano had made, which he got someone to print and which he then published ('io fece un'altra pianta piccola in un foglio imperiale et la feci stampare et mandai a luce. Deo gratias'; M. Cerrati, 'Fonti per la Storia dell'Antica Basilica Vaticana', “Archivio della reale società romana di storia patria”, XLIV, 1921, p. 265). This passage confirms that Alfarano made the drawings himself. It also confirms that he was the publisher. In 1582 he had completed the manuscript of his book 'De Basilicae Vaticanae' which is a detailed description of all the chapels, altars, tombs and other significant elements of the Basilica. He was granted a 10-year privilege for the book and for the plan on 13 September 1589 (Motu proprio of Sixtus V, Cerrati, pp.xli-xlii). The plan was published in 1590, but the book, 'De Basilicae Vaticanae', remained in manuscript and was not published until 1914. The privilege makes clear that the plan was made at Alfarano's expense, so he presumably hired Natale Bonifacio to etch the plate. The drawing for the present plan was corrected for changes that had occurred in 1588 - as for example the moving of the tomb of Pius V to S. M. Maggiore (Cerrati, p.xli). It was ready for Natale Bonifacio by the end of 1589 and published in 1590. In the dedication to the Archpriest of the Basilica, Cardinal Evangelista Pallotto, Alfarano made clear that he was motivated by a desire to record accurately the form and measurements of the sacred spaces of the old basilica in relation to the new, with a view to preserving a sense of the piety and devotion due to such a venerable church. The plate is preserved in the Archivio of the Basilica of St Peter's” (cf. Michael Bury, 'The Print in Italy 1550-1620', BM 2001, cat. 63).

A good impression on laid paper, with margins, good condition.

Bibliografia

Michael Bury, 'The Print in Italy 1550-1620', BM 2001, cat. 63.