The 1748 Nolli Map of Rome
The 1748 Nolli Map of Rome, crafted by architect and surveyor Giambattista Nolli, is a landmark in cartography, renowned for its precision and artistry. Unlike the dominant bird’s-eye perspectives of its time, the ichnographic plan offers a detailed and accurate depiction of Rome, capturing its streets, squares, and building interiors. Nolli’s scientific surveying methods and meticulous engravings ensured the map’s enduring relevance, with its accuracy confirmed by modern satellite imagery. It remains a vital resource for understanding Rome's urban form and cultural achievements during its peak.
The 1748 Nolli Map of Rome
Places of Interest - Nolli's Rome
Modern Name | Types | Principal Architects | Chronology | Principal Patrons | LAT | LON |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meta Sudans | Ruins | 89-96 Constructed; 1936 Partially destroyed under Benito Mussolini; 1980-2000 Partially excavated; | 41.89015386 | 12.49065228 | ||
Tarpeian Rock | Ruins | 41.8927626 | 12.48128335 | |||
Temple of Claudius | Ruins | 54 Partially constructed under Agrippina the Younger; 59 Destroyed under Emperor Nero; 70 Reconstructed under Emperor Vespasian; | Agrippina, Nero, Vespasian | 41.88851876 | 12.49280321 | |
Temple of Saturn | Ruins | 497 BC Constructed; | 41.89259149 | 12.48435027 | ||
Temple of Vespasian and Titus | Ruins | 81 Constructed; | 41.8927759 | 12.48422813 | ||
Baths of Caracalla | Ruins | 216 Constructed under Emperor Septimius Severus and Emperor Caracalla; | Septimius Severus, Caracalla | 41.87914356 | 12.4928851 | |
Circus Maximus | Ruins | 700-600 BC Constructed; 64 Destroyed in a fire; 1-100 Reconstructed; 1587 First excavated under Sixtus V; | Sixtus V | 41.88591909 | 12.48540749 | |
Cloaca Maxima | Ruins | 41.8883361 | 12.48018387 | |||
Porticus Aemilia | Ruins | 193 BC Constructed under Marcus Aemilius Lepidus and Lucius Aemilius Paulus; 174 BC Reconstructed under Quintus Fulvius Flaccus and Aulus Postumius Albinus; | Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Lucius Aemilius Paulus, Quintus Fulvius Flaccus, Aulus Postumius Albinus | 41.87961666 | 12.47342743 | |
Pyramid of Cestius | Ruins | 18�12 BC Constructed as a tomb for Gaius Cestius; 270-275 Incorporated into the Aurelian Walls; 1663 Excavations under Alexander VII; 1821 Incorporated into Protestant cemetery; 2015 Restored under Yuzo Yagi to allow access to the interior; | Gaius Cestius, Aurelian, Alexander VII, Yuzo Yagi | 41.87648712 | 12.48043336 | |
Acqua Paola | Ruins | Giovanni Fontana | 1605 Aqua Traiana reconstructed by Giovanni Fontana under Paul V and renamed "Acqua Paola"; | Paul V | 41.90138196 | 12.45096857 |
Arch of Titus | Ruins, Arch | Rabirius, Raffaele Stern, Giuseppe Valadier | 81 Constructed under Emperor Domitian by Rabirius (disputed); 1000-1100 Restored under the Frangipani family by adding a second story to the vault; 1818 Restored by Raffaele Stern; 1821 Excavated and restored by Giuseppe Valadier under Pius VII; | Domitian, Frangipani family, Pius VII | 41.89073291 | 12.48851399 |
Arch of the Pantani | Ruins, Arch | 50-2 BC Constructed as the entrance to the forum of Augustus; | 41.89429244 | 12.48720536 | ||
Arch of Gallienus | Ruins, Arch | 400-300 BC Constructed as a gate in Servian Wall; 30-14 BC Reconstructed under Emperor Augustus; 262 Rededicated under Marcus Aurelius Victor to Emperor Gallienus; | Augustus | 41.89574231 | 12.5015273 | |
Arch of Constantine | Ruins, Arch | 312-315 Constructed under the Roman Senate to commemorate ten years of Constantine's reign and his victory over Emperor Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge; | Roman Senate | 41.88963762 | 12.49065711 | |
Arch of Janus | Ruins, Arch | 300-350 Constructed; | 41.88923952 | 12.48282801 | ||
Arco degli Argentari | Ruins, Arch | 204 Constructed under the local money-changers (argentarii) and merchants (negotiantes) in honor of Emperor Septimius Severus; | Money-changers, Merchants | 41.88947499 | 12.48292589 | |
Arch of Septimius Severus | Ruins, Arch | 203 Constructed; 1199 Control of the arch split under Innocent III between the Catholic Church, which transformed half of the arch into a church, and to the Ciminius family, who built a fortress incorporating the arch into the structure; 1469 Restored; 1803 Excavated by forced laborers; 1904-1908 Restored; 1960 Restored; | Catholic Church, Ciminius family | 41.89280549 | 12.48488252 | |
Arch of Drusus | Ruins, Arch | 41.8736959 | 12.50120695 | |||
Possibly the Pons Probi | Ruins, Bridge | 276-282 Constructed under Emperor Marcus Aurelius Probus; 374 Damaged by flood; 381-387 Restored under Emperor Theodosius (pons marmoreus Theodosii); 1000-1099 Rebuilt; 1484 Demolished by Sixtus IV; | Marcus Aurelius Probus, Theodosius, Sixtus IV | 41.88449769 | 12.47665923 | |
Temple of Castor and Pollux (Dioscuri) | Ruins, Column or Obelisk | 117 BC Constructed under Lucius Caecilius Metellus Dalmaticus; 73 BC Restored under Gaius Verres; 14 BC Destroyed in a fire and reconstructed under Emperor Tiberius; 300-400 Ruined and only three columns remain; 1817-1818 Excavations; | Lucius Caecilius Metellus Dalmaticus, Gaius Verres, Tiberius | 41.89167128 | 12.48558139 | |
Mausoleum of Augustus | Ruins, Palace | 28 BC Constructed under Emperor Caesar Augustus; 1100-1200 Tumulus constructed into a castle; 1900-1930 Used as a concert hall called the Augusteo; 1930-1940 Excavated and restored under Benito Mussolini; | Caesar Augustus, Benito Mussolini | 41.90601155 | 12.47641715 | |
Palazzo Gabrielli-Borromeo | Seminary | 1500-1550 Constructed under Cardinal Girolamo of the Gabrielli family; 1605 Acquired by Jesuits for the Seminario Romano and restored for them by Cardinal Vitaliano Borromeo; 1700-1774 Reconstructed under Cardinal Vitaliano Borromeo; 1774 Acquired by the Monte di Piet� of Rome; 1796 Entrusted to the Fabbrica di San Pietro; 1824 Returned to the Jesuits; 1930 Site of the Collegio Bellarmino; | Gabrielli family, Vitaliano Borromeo | 41.89939824 | 12.47886008 | |
Palazzo delle Scuderie al Quirinale | Stable | Alessandro Specchi, Ferdinando Fuga, Gae Aulenti | 1722-1732 Constructed as stables for the Quirinal palace by Alessandro Specchi and Ferdinando Fuga under Innocent XIII and Clement XII; 1938 Converted into a garage; 1980-1990 Restored and converted into a museum of carriages; 1997-1999 Restored to original form by Gae Aulenti; | Innocent XIII, Clement XII | 41.89877502 | 12.48594019 |
Teatro Argentina | Theater | Gerolamo Theodoli, Pietro Holl, Paolo Portoghesi | 1731 Constructed by Gerolamo Theodoli under the Sforza-Cesarini family; 1826 Fa�ade reconstructed by Pietro Holl; 1993 Restored by Paolo Portoghesi; | Sforza-Cesarini family | 41.89555743 | 12.47601256 |
Teatro Valle | Theater | Tommaso Morelli, Mauro Fontana, Giovanni Francesco Fiori, Francesco Navona, Giovanni Domenico Navona, Giuseppe Valadier, Giuseppe Camporese, Gaspare Salvi, Renato Setacci | 1726-1727 Constructed by Tommaso Morelli under the Capranica family in wood; 1765 Restored by Mauro Fontana and Giovanni Francesco Fiori; 1791 Restored by Francesco Navona and Giovanni Domenico Navona; 1819-1821 Fa�ade constructed by Giuseppe Valadier and Giuseppe Camporese; 1822 Restored by Gaspare Salvi; 1936 Restored by Renato Setacci; 2011 Theater closed; | Capranica family | 41.89747275 | 12.47489765 |
Teatro Capranica | Theater | Carlo Buratti | 1694 Constructed by Carlo Buratti under the Capranica family; 1922 Converted into a cinema; 2000 Converted into a performance venue; | Capranica family | 41.90016552 | 12.47778128 |
With thanks to the University of Oregon
The Interactive Nolli Map Website, developed in 2005 by James Tice, Erik Steiner, and Allan Ceen, brought Giambattista Nolli’s iconic 1748 map of Rome to life in a groundbreaking digital format. Celebrated for its accuracy and beauty, the project revolutionized access to Rome’s urban and architectural history, earning widespread acclaim and awards. In 2021, the team launched an enhanced Interactive Nolli Map Website 2.0, incorporating modern cartographic advancements like geo-rectified mapping, 3D simulations, and enriched metadata, ensuring its relevance for contemporary research and exploration.
Birdy Slade gratefully acknowledges the contributions of Tice, Steiner, Ceen, and their collaborators. Their innovative work has made this invaluable resource an inspiration and foundation for further study of Rome’s history.
The University of Oregon states that its map information is open source. This page can, therefore, be deleted if they subsequently decide to make the information price and exclusive. If so, please contact us.