Leonardo Agostini
Encyclopedia
Leonardo Agostini was an Italian antiquary of the 17th century, born at Grosseto
, near Siena
.
He was employed for some time as antiquario to Cardinal
Francesco Barberini
to collect works of art for the recently constructed Palazzo Barberini
. His letters to the Barberini
family during their period of disgrace and exile (1646–1650) are mined by art historians for information on the archaeological activity of the time. Appointed by Pope Alexander VII
superintendent of antiquities in the Papal States, he directed in Rome the excavations of the Forum
and of thermae
near the church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna
. in 1649 he issued a new edition of Filippo Paruta's Sicilian Medals, with engravings of 400 additional specimens. In conjunction with Giovanni Bellori (1615–1696) he also published a work on antique engraved gems, Gemme antiche figurate: the first volume was devoted entirely to Cardinal Francesco's collection, the second, to cameos and other discoveries from the auguste ruine della gran Roma, the "august ruins of great Rome". The work, which was grouped according to the themes represented, identified for the first time the subject of the Arrotino
as a blade-sharpener in a sculptural group of The flaying of Marsyas
; it was translated into Latin by Jakob Gronovius
in Amsterdam, 1685.
Grosseto
Grosseto is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Province of Grosseto. The city lies 14 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Maremma, at the centre of an alluvial plain, on the Ombrone river....
, near Siena
Siena
Siena is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation's most visited tourist attractions, with over 163,000 international arrivals in 2008...
.
He was employed for some time as antiquario to Cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
Francesco Barberini
Francesco Barberini (seniore)
Francesco Barberini was an Italian Catholic Cardinal. The nephew of Pope Urban VIII , he benefited immensely from the nepotism practiced by his uncle...
to collect works of art for the recently constructed Palazzo Barberini
Palazzo Barberini
Palazzo Barberini is a palace in Rome, facing the piazza of the same name in Rione Trevi and is home to the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica.-History:...
. His letters to the Barberini
Barberini
The Barberini are a family of the Italian nobility that rose to prominence in 17th century Rome. Their influence peaked with the election of Cardinal Maffeo Barberini to the papal throne in 1623, as Pope Urban VIII...
family during their period of disgrace and exile (1646–1650) are mined by art historians for information on the archaeological activity of the time. Appointed by Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII , born Fabio Chigi, was Pope from 7 April 1655, until his death.- Early life :Born in Siena, a member of the illustrious banking family of Chigi and a great-nephew of Pope Paul V , he was privately tutored and eventually received doctorates of philosophy, law, and theology from...
superintendent of antiquities in the Papal States, he directed in Rome the excavations of the Forum
Roman Forum
The Roman Forum is a rectangular forum surrounded by the ruins of several important ancient government buildings at the center of the city of Rome. Citizens of the ancient city referred to this space, originally a marketplace, as the Forum Magnum, or simply the Forum...
and of thermae
Thermae
In ancient Rome, thermae and balnea were facilities for bathing...
near the church of San Lorenzo in Panisperna
San Lorenzo in Panisperna
San Lorenzo in Panisperna, or San Lorenzo in Formoso, is a church on Via Panisperna, Rome, central Italy. It was built on the site of its dedicatee's martyrdom.-Name:...
. in 1649 he issued a new edition of Filippo Paruta's Sicilian Medals, with engravings of 400 additional specimens. In conjunction with Giovanni Bellori (1615–1696) he also published a work on antique engraved gems, Gemme antiche figurate: the first volume was devoted entirely to Cardinal Francesco's collection, the second, to cameos and other discoveries from the auguste ruine della gran Roma, the "august ruins of great Rome". The work, which was grouped according to the themes represented, identified for the first time the subject of the Arrotino
Arrotino
The Arrotino , or formerly the Scythian, thought to be a figure from a group representing the Flaying of Marsyas is a Hellenistic-Roman sculpture of a man crouching to sharpen a knife on a whetstone.The sculpture was excavated in the early sixteenth century, for it is recognizable in an inventory...
as a blade-sharpener in a sculptural group of The flaying of Marsyas
Marsyas
In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas is a central figure in two stories involving music: in one, he picked up the double flute that had been abandoned by Athena and played it; in the other, he challenged Apollo to a contest of music and lost his hide and life...
; it was translated into Latin by Jakob Gronovius
Jakob Gronovius
Jacobus Gronovius a.k.a. Jacob Gronow was a Dutch classical scholar.He was the son of the German classical scholar Johann Friedrich Gronovius and Aleyda ten Nuyl from Deventer, and father of the botanist Jan Frederik Gronovius...
in Amsterdam, 1685.