La facciata incompiuta: due prospetti a confronto di Santa Maria della Consolazione al Foro Romano

This study examines the façade of the church of Santa Maria della Consolazione at the Roman Forum, focusing on the sixteenth century reconstruction led by Giacomo Della Porta and Martino Longhi the Elder. The façade remained unfinished for nearly two centuries, as shown in an eighteenth century drawing by Giuseppe Marchetti and in Antonio Tempesta’s 1593 map. Other depictions, however, present it as complete, offering two main hypothetical versions: a “Florentine style” façade and a two story façade. The article argues that both proposals align with late sixteenth century architectural debates in Rome and reflect the respective design approaches of the two architects—Della Porta for the former and Longhi for the latter.