Forum of Nerva, Rome – Albumen Photograph by Pietro Dovizielli, ca. 1860

Forum of Nerva (Temple of Minerva, the “Colonnacce”), Rome – Albumen Photograph by Pietro Dovizielli, ca. 1860

This evocative albumen photograph by Pietro Dovizielli depicts the celebrated Colonnacce, the best-preserved architectural remains of the Forum of Nerva, also known as the Forum Transitorium. Built under Emperor Domitian and completed by Nerva in the late 1st century AD, the forum was dedicated to the goddess Minerva, protector of crafts and wisdom.

The surviving structure consists of two lofty Corinthian columns supporting a richly decorated entablature and frieze, adorned with reliefs showing mythological and religious scenes. At the center is a niche with a statue of Minerva, the patron deity of the forum. Dovizielli captures not only the grandeur of this fragment of Imperial Rome but also the layers of later life around it: a shop sign visible on the right reads “FORNO DI PANE, SPACCIO DI PASTA ed altri generi” (Bakery, pasta shop, and other goods), reminding us how ancient ruins were woven into the fabric of everyday 19th-century Rome.

The photograph is a striking example of mid-19th-century documentary photography, preserving the appearance of the site before extensive later restorations. The warm tonal range of the albumen process emphasizes the textures of travertine and brick, juxtaposing the enduring monumentality of Roman architecture with the modest adaptations of later centuries.

The Photographer
Pietro Dovizielli (1804–1885) was an Italian painter and photographer based in Rome, best known for his architectural and landscape views. Originally trained as a painter, he became one of the early adopters of photography in Italy, turning to the albumen process in the mid-19th century. His works, often acquired by Grand Tour travelers, are valued today for their documentary precision and their quiet, atmospheric depiction of ancient and Renaissance monuments. Through his lens, Rome’s historic landmarks were preserved at a moment when they were beginning to attract serious attention from archaeologists and restorers.