Antonio Lafreri was a master printmaker and publisher in sixteenth century Italy, and his Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae offers a number of engravings of Rome and Roman antiquities. The University of Chicago Library happens to have a copy of this work which they have recently digitized and placed online here for the general public. It's a remarkable collection, and all told visitors can look through 994 prints which depict major monuments and antiquities in Rome. After reading a brief introduction to the work, visitors should click on over to the "Itineraries". Here they will find mini-exhibitions designed by scholars that will allow them to travel through the collection based on a theme, location, collection, or artist. Among their number are a tour of the Belvedere Cortile (an outdoor garden space) and the Castel Sant'Angelo, which is one of the largest buildings in Rome. The site concludes with a collection of related links and information about the technical processes used to create the site.
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