Giuseppe Vasi

The Acqua Giulia belongs to the group of archaeological publications that Piranesi produced during the 1750s as an extension of Le Antichità Romane. The treatise explains the manner in which the ancient Romans distributed water for the use of the city. Piranesi’s enduring fascination with the urban aqueduct system reflects his early training under his uncle, an hydraulics engineer. The illustration here shows the building that houses the display of water at the end of the aqueduct. The image combines architectural diagrams with a fantastic view of the ruins, presenting a stage for Piranesi’s multiple personas: antiquarian, engineer, architect, etcher, and romantic.