Alessandro Sebastiani

The Forma Urbis Museum has recently commenced welcoming tourists to Rome. This intimate museum is situated just a few hundred meters from iconic landmarks such as the Colosseum and the Arch of Constantine, within the most heavily visited area of the capital. Currently, there is a lack of clear signage, and from the exterior, the museum appears rather unassuming.

However, upon familiarizing oneself with the surroundings and entering the museum, its revolutionary nature becomes evident. Fortuitously, I had the opportunity to explore it almost entirely empty, just before a tour group arrived. Visitors traverse a path beneath glass panels that constitute the floor, tracing an idealized route through Severan Rome superimposed on Giovanni Battista Nolli’s Pianta Grande of 1748. This constitutes an erudite journey that may require a gradual approach for less experienced visitors, yet it remains profoundly captivating.

Even without extensive prior knowledge, one can discern the journey through the urban palimpsest of Rome, evidenced in the stone carvings, ancient architecture shaped in lines, and their juxtaposition with the modern city. This experience elucidates the three-dimensionality of urban and stratigraphic volumes, as eloquently narrated by Daniele Manacorda in his latest volume. This immersive experience is enjoyed ante litteram, without the aid of Oculus Quest or other headsets, guided solely by the depth of scholarly knowledge and the awe for a masterpiece of art.