Circum Urbis, Agonalibus ludis olim caelebrem, dicata trimphali pompa Christo resurgeti Hispana pietas caelebriorem rediddit

Etching, 1650, lettered key and title along botttom margin: Circum Urbis Agonalibus ludis ... / ... Anno Jubilei 1650 // Eques Carol. Rainal. Archit' / Dominicus Barriere Marsi.s delin. et sculp. 

“Organised in Rome by the Spanish community, the 1650 procession for the Feast of the Resurrection in Piazza Navona was designed and coordinated by Carlo Rainaldi, whose name is recorded at the bottom of this print. The procession was described in detail by Gigli in his Diario Romano. He notes that the two fountains in the square were enclosed within four-sides arches, topped with turrets and cupolas that appeared to be made of coloured marbles, and containing boxes to hold musicians. At the centre of the piazza, a large enclosure of timber covered with painted canvas and with corner turrets for musicians surrounded the still-unfinished obelisk fountain and aligned with it on either side were two more painted obelisks for fireworks and other pyrotechnic apparatus. The whole square was surrounded by a wooden colonnade and everywhere was lit with burning lamps. Facing the obelisk, by the church of S. Agnese, an altar with a gilded and painted cornice had been set up to receive the Holy Sacrament. It bore the arms of the kingdom of Portugal and had been built by three Portuguese, Gigli says pointedly, to affirm the King of Spain's rule over that realm despite the fact that he did not possess it due to the rebellion’ (ancorchè non lo possieda per essersi ribellato; Gigli 1958, pp. 356-7). This was a reference to Portugal's uprising against Spanish rule, which had begun in 1640. Hostilities ended only in 1668 with Spanish recognition of Portugal's sovereignty under its new ruling dynasty, the House of Braganza. Additional features are recorded in the key along the bottom.” [cf. M. McDonald The Print Collection Cassiano dal Pozzo …  – Prints cat. n. 507 (v. 2)].

A fine impression, printed on contemporary laid paper, with margins, perfect condition. A magnific exampel of this very rare work.

Literature

Tozzi, Incisioni barocche, p. 177 n. IV.8; P. Arrigoni, A. Bertarelli, Le stampe storiche conservate nella Raccolta del Castello Sforzesco. Catalogo descrittivo, p. 23 n. 300; M. McDonald The Print Collection Cassiano dal Pozzo … Series C – Prints cat. n. 507 (v. 2); Robert-Dusmenil, III, p. 87, n. 194.