War Carts of Padua and Cremona – Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae
Carroci of Cremona and Padua
Engraving from Thesaurus Antiquitatum et Historiarum Italiae (Leiden, 1704–1725), edited by Johann Georg Graevius and published by Pieter van der Aa.
This plate depicts two examples of the carrocium, the great war-cart used by Italian communes in the Middle Ages as both military standard and civic emblem. Drawn by oxen and stationed in the center of the army during battle, the carrocium bore the city’s banner and served as a rallying point for its troops.
At the top is the Carrocium Cremonense, a timber-framed structure on wheels carrying a bell and flag. Below is the more elaborate Carrocium Patavinum of Padua, richly decorated with carved panels, shields, and standards, surmounted by a cross-bearing banner.
These engravings are based on antiquarian reconstructions from the 17th or 18th century rather than surviving medieval carts, reflecting early modern interest in preserving the memory of Italy’s civic and military traditions. The carrocium stood as both a practical instrument of war and a potent emblem of communal identity.
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.
Sheet with margins.
