An architect at the service of archaeology. The antiquities in the life of Enrico Calderari

This contribution presents the preliminary results of a research into the life of Enrico Calderari and his “relationship” with the discovery of antiquities during the first half of the nineteenth century. In fact, even though Enrico Calderari was primarily known for his main profession as architect – he directed many works for the Municipality of Rome -, he spent a good part of his life documenting archaeological discoveries for the Commissione Generale Consultiva di Antichità e Belle Arti, as Ispettore dei Monumenti e Disegnatore dei Nuovi Scavi. Regarding the life and works of the Roman architect there was a rather limited knowledge until some time ago, while his activity at the “service” of Roman antiquities was practically unknown: in fact, the reconstruction of the “archaeological events” in which he was involved is possible thanks to reading and decoding a very complex and heterogeneous archive documentation. The particular type of dossier presented here, also trying to highlight the methodological aspects that characterize this type of research, shows the contribution by a personality considered “minor”, in some ways fundamental, to the knowledge of the ancient topography of the city of Rome and the vast information still unpublished in the Roman archives, as well as shedding light on the practices and methods of the nascent Fine Arts preservation