«Rendere immortale la memoria degl’artefici». La catalogazione delle opere di scultura nelle guide di Roma tra Sei e Settecento

The paper analyzes the growing interest in sculpture in the guides of Rome published between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, starting, with the publication of the Studio di pittura, scoltura et architettura (1674) by the abbot Filippo Titi. In fact, since the release of this work on the market, the topographical survey of the sculptural heritage of the city has grown steadily, following criteria that are much less objective than one might think. This paper discusses these issues, establishing which principles guided the compilers in the choice of artists mentioned and definines, at the same time, the reasons behind the judgments of merit expressed on the various sculptors.