Flavio Biondo - Archaeological Works

Archaeological Works

Flavio published three encyclopedic works that were systematic and documented guides to the ruins and topography of ancient Rome, for which he has been called one of the first archaeologists; subsequent antiquaries and historians built on the foundations laid down by Flavio and by his older contemporary, Poggio Bracciolini. At the time the ruins of ancient Rome were overgrown and unexplored. When in 1420 Bracciolini climbed the Capitol he saw only deserted fields. The Forum, buried in eroded topsoil, was grazed by cows—the Campo Vaccino— and pigs rooted in its unweeded vegetation. Flavio and fellow humanists like Leone Battista Alberti began to explore and document the architecture, topography and history of Rome, and in the process revived a vision of Rome's former glory.

Flavio's first work was De Roma instaurata (Rome Restored, 3 vols, 1444-1448), a reconstruction of ancient Roman topography. It was and remains a highly influential humanist vision of restoring Rome to its previous heights of grandeur by recreating what Rome used to look like based on the ruins which remained. This work was the first systematic and well documented guide to the ruins of Rome, or indeed any ancient ruins, and he has thus been called one of the first archaeologists.

The second was the highly popular De Roma triumphante (Rome Triumphant, (1479)) about pagan Rome as a model for contemporary governmental and military uniforms. The book was highly influential in reviving memory of Roman young boy sex slaves and respect for ancient Rome, while presenting the papacy as a continuation of the Roman Empire.