IL SONTVOSISS.O ET AMENISS.O PALAZZO ET GIARDINI DI TIVOLI

Etching and engraving, 1573, engraved by Etienne Duperac for Antonio Lafreri. Work part of the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae.

At the top center we find the title: “IL. SONTVOSISS.O. ET. AMENISS.O. PALAZ¬ZO. ET. GARDENS. OF. TIVOLI”.

At the bottom left the dedication: “ALLA CHRISTIANISSIMA REGINA CATERINA DI MEDICI MADRE DEL CHRISTIANISSIMO CARLO NONO RE DI FRANCIA. TALE fu la fama del sunuoso palazzo, et uaghissimi giardini che fece la fe.me dell’Ill. mo Signor Hippolito Cardinal di Ferrara nella Città di Tiuoli […] Con che baciandole con ogni riuerenza la regia mano, prego N. S. Dio che la conserui felice. Di Roma alli 8. di Aprile M D LXXIII. Di uostra M.tà Chr.ma Humiliss.o suditto et seruitore Stephano Duperac Parigiano”.
The work reproduces the Villa d'Este in Tivoli, a majestic architectural project by Pirro Ligorio. After working at the Casino of Pius IV (1559-1565) in the Vatican, Ligorio worked for the Villa d'Este. Ligorio's contribution does not appear in the documents, but his position as an antiquarian for the Casa d'Este and the affinities of the Tiburtine villa with the Casino of Pius IV led him to attribute the arrangement of the villa to Ligorio. The works lasted from 1560 until the death of Ippolito d'Este (1572). The first edition, celebrating the complex of the villa with the gardens, was published on April 8, 1573. The Dupérac had at his disposal the plans of Pirro Ligorio for the gardens of Villa d'Este. The cardinal's palace is designed on the top of the hill.

This print comes from Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae (The Mirror of Roman Magnificence). The Speculum found its origin in the publishing endeavors of Antonio Salamanca and Antonio Lafreri. During their roman publishing careers, the two foreign publishers - who worked together between 1553 and 1563 - initiated the production of prints recording art works, architecture and city views related to Antique and Modern Rome. The prints could be bought individually by tourists and collectors, but were also purchased in larger groups which were often bound together in an album. In 1573, Lafreri commissioned a title page for this purpose, which is where the title ‘Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae’ first appears. Lafreri envisioned an ideal arrangement of the prints in 7 different categories, but during his lifetime, never appears to have offered one standard, bound set of prints. Instead, clients composed their own selection from the corpus to be bound, or collected a group of prints over time. When Lafreri died, two-third of the existing copper plates went to the Duchetti family (Claudio and Stefano), while another third was distributed among several publishers. The Duchetti appear to have standardized production, offering a more or less uniform version of the Speculum to their clients. The popularity of the prints also inspired other publishers in Rome to make copies however, and to add new prints to the corpus.

Example in the third state of four, with the imprint of G.D. De Rossi “Ioannes Dominicus de Rubeis Formis Romæ alla Pace”.

Beautiful proof, printed on laid paper, with margins, in perfect state of preservation.

The copperplate is preserved at Calcografia Nazionale (n. 1242; Grelle Iusco 1996, p. 407, n. 32-6).
Inventories: 1581b ("Giardino di Tiuoli di fol. Imp.lj"; Pagani 2008a, p. 15, r. 82); 1584 ("Il giardino di Tivoli"; Lincoln 2000, p. 185).