• Title : Pianta Del Palazzo Del Em. Sigre Cardle Spada
• Date : 1665
• Condition: (A+) Fine Condition
• Ref:  91178
• Size: 18in x 14in (460mm x 360mm) 

Description:
This finely engraved original 1655 antique architectural engraving a plan of the Galleria Spada Museum in Rome, Italy by Giovanni Battistaa Falda was published by Giacomo de Rossi in the 1665 edition of Il nuovo teatro delle fabriche, et edificii, in prospettiva di Roma moderna, 1665-1699. 
These original prints are published on beautiful heavy clean original 17th century laid Italian made paper.

Galleria Spada is a museum in Rome (Italy), which is housed in the Palazzo Spada of the same name, located in the Piazza Capo di Ferro. The palazzo is also famous for its façade and for the forced perspective gallery by Francesco Borromini. The gallery exhibits paintings from the 16th and 17th century.
It was originally built in 1540 for Cardinal Girolamo Capodiferro. Bartolomeo Baronino, of Casale Monferrato, was the architect, while Giulio Mazzoni and a team provided lavish stuccowork inside and out. The palazzo was purchased by Cardinal Spada in 1632. He commissioned the Baroque architect Francesco Borromini to modify it for him, and it was Borromini who created the masterpiece of forced perspective optical illusion in the arcaded courtyard, in which diminishing rows of columns and a rising floor create the visual illusion of a gallery 37 meters long (it is 8 meters) with a lifesize sculpture at the end of the vista, in daylight beyond: the sculpture is 60 cm high. Borromini was aided in his perspective trick by a mathematician. The building was purchased in November 1926 by the Italian State to house the gallery and the State Council. The Galleria was opened in 1927 in the Palazzo Spada. It closed during the 1940s, but reopened in 1951 thanks to the efforts of the Conservator of the Galleries of Rome, Anchille Bertini Calosso and the Director, Frederico Zeri. Zeri was committed to locating the remaining artwork that had been scattered during the war, as he intended to recreate the original layout of the 16th-17th version of the gallery, including the placement of the pictures, the furniture and the sculptures. Most of the exhibited artwork comes predominantly from the private collection of Bernardino Spada, supplemented by smaller collections such as that of Virgilio Spada

General Definitions:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color : - off white
Age of map color: - 
Colors used: - 
General color appearance: - 
Paper size: - 18in x 14in (460mm x 360mm)
Plate size: - 11 1/2in x 9in (290mm x 230mm)
Margins: - Min 1/2in (12mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None

Background: 
Il Nuovo Teatro: One of the most important architectural projects of the seventeenth century was the urban renovation of Rome. Under the brilliant leadership of Pope Alessandro VII (1655-1667), Rome dramatically emerged as one of the most modern and beautiful cities of the new Baroque age. Within several decades spacious roadways were constructed, monumental buildings arose, and many public squares appeared with elaborate fountains and monuments. To be sure, this massive undertaking was meant to underline the absolute power of the Papacy but it also brought forth a new flowering of Italian art and architecture.
The Nuovo Teatro was initiated in 1665 to depict the new Rome in a series of etchings. What it gave to future generations was a magnificent historical record of views etched by two of Italy's greatest architectural artists. The printing and publishing of these important etchings was entrusted to Giacomo de Rossi (1626-1691), the head of the most dominant Roman publishing house. Sons and nephews of de Rossi, in fact, continued the publishing house until 1738 when the business was sold to Pope Clement XII to form the basis of the Regia Calcografia.) Altogether, four sets of Nuovo Teatro were created during the seventeenth century. Volumes one (35 etchings) and two (17 etchings) were both published in the year of 1665 and dealt mainly in views of the new piazzas, gardens, terraces and their surrounding buildings. Volume 3 (38 etchings) was published in 1669 and concentrated upon the newly constructed churches of Rome. Every plate from the first three sets was both designed and etched by the influential architectural artist, Giovanni Battista Falda (1643-1678). For reasons unknown the fourth and final volume (52 etchings) did not appear until 1699. It was published by Giacomo's successor, Domenico de Rossi, and featured views of the palaces and stately homes of Rome. Each plate was designed and etched by the famous architect and etcher, Alessandro Specchi (1668-1729)