Memoria dell’Antico

While it is normal in archaeology to discuss the relationship between written sources and archaeological evidence, the use of graphic sources for the reconstruction of the topography of ancient Rome – in particular of Renaissance drawings and maps – did not develop a debate on methodological issues. In this regard an important starting point for the discussion can be found, instead, in the art-historical studies dedicated to this type of drawings. The evaluation of the reliability of these sources needs a specific philology taking into account the purposes, functions and type of the collections where these documents appear, the relationships between the various drawings and – of course – their chronology. The paper examines some cases where the conclusions of historical and artistic studies have significantly changed the attribution and dating of well-known collections, with consequences that not always are fully evaluated in the archaeological field, due to the disciplinary specializations. Finally, a pair of specific examples are considered to demonstrate that the correct interpretation of graphic Renaissance documentation allows to avoid misunderstandings or calls into question conclusions that seemed well-established.