Sky Arte documentary explores Piranesi's only built works on Aventine Hill
A new episode of 'Sette Meraviglie Roma' on Sky Arte, airing Tuesday 22 October, focuses on Giovanni Battista Piranesi's architectural projects on the Aventine Hill in Rome. Piranesi, renowned for his 'Vedute di Roma' etchings, was commissioned in 1764 by Giovanni Rezzonico, Grand Prior of the Order of Malta, to restore the Church of Santa Maria del Priorato, its square, villa, and adjacent gardens. The works, executed from 1764 to 1766, include a facade with extraordinary iconographic apparatus and magnificent stucco decorations inside. These buildings are unique as Piranesi's only realized structures, transforming his drawings and designs into concrete objects. After years of neglect, recent restoration has returned the church to its original splendor. The episode is part of the series exploring Roman wonders.
Key facts
- Giovanni Battista Piranesi was a celebrated engraver and architecture theorist.
- He gained European fame for his 'Vedute di Roma'.
- In 1761, he dedicated the treatise 'Della Magnificenza ed Architettura de’ Romani' to the Rezzonico family.
- Giovanni Rezzonico became Grand Prior of the Order of Malta in Rome.
- Piranesi restored Santa Maria del Priorato and its surroundings from 1764 to 1766.
- The church features a facade with extraordinary iconography and stucco decorations.
- These are Piranesi's only built works.
- The episode airs on Sky Arte on Tuesday 22 October.
Entities
Artists
- Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Institutions
- Sky Arte
- Artribune
- Order of Malta
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Aventine Hill
- Church of Santa Maria del Priorato