Monumental Column in Ravenna – Antique Engraving
“Columna prope Ravennam”
Copperplate engraving from a late 17th–early 18th century antiquarian collection of Italian monuments.
Depiction of a commemorative column located near Ravenna, shown as an architectural monument richly adorned with relief sculpture, heraldic devices, and inscribed panels. The central column rises from a stepped base and is crowned with an ornamental capital, while surrounding medallions and cartouches contain explanatory Latin texts. These inscriptions record historical events, military actions, and dates associated with the site, reflecting the antiquarian practice of documenting monuments through both image and epigraphy. Printed on laid paper with strong plate mark.
Texts below image:
Upper medallions:
“Latus versus Ravennam.”
“Latus versus Flumen.”
“Latus versus Fori Livii.”
Central text panels (Latin inscriptions):
“Paulo III. Pont. Max. sedente P. Donatus Caesar Episc. Narn. utriusq. signaturae referendarius, dum Aemiliae praesideret, locum hunc conflictus Ravennatis celebritatem clarum diligenter explorasset, ne tantae rei memoriam vetustas temporum abolere, hoc erecto marmore conservandum curavit.”
Lower right panel:
“Gesta fuerunt haec prid. Id. April. anno à partu Virg. supra sesquimillesimum duodecimo Julii II. Pontif. Max. Christianam rempub. gubernante.”
Base inscription:
“Haec petra Petrus donat Donatus Iberis, Gallosq. hic caesos, caesius haec memorans.”
Caption:
“Columna prope Ravennam.”
Leiden between 1704 and 1725
Each Plate Approx 28 x 48 cm (Full Sheet Including Margins)
The Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae formed part of the monumental Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum series compiled by Johann Georg Graevius (1632–1703) and published in Leiden between 1704 and 1725. Overseen by the Dutch publisher Pieter van der Aa, the folio volumes combined texts, inscriptions, and richly engraved illustrations of monuments and antiquities from across Italy.
Many of the plates, such as those from the Monumenta Brixiana section devoted to finds from Brescia, document Roman statues, coins, inscriptions, and architectural remains. Executed in van der Aa’s workshop, the engravings often drew on earlier antiquarian sources but were presented in a format that reflected the 18th-century revival of interest in classical antiquity.
Conceived as a comprehensive resource for scholars, the Thesaurus also became a visual library for artists and thinkers of the early Neoclassical age, preserving and disseminating the legacy of ancient Italy through both scholarship and imagery.
