Francesco Ficoroni

Who was Francesco Ficoroni?

Francesco Ficoroni was an Italian connoisseur and antiquarian in Rome closely involved with the antiquities trade. He was the author of numerous publications on ancient Roman sculpture and antiquities, guides to the monuments of Rome and the city's ancient topography, and on Italian theatre and theatrical masks, among other subjects. For his antiquarian works he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. A major segment of his potential audience, both for his publications and for the objects from his perpetually-changing collection, was composed of British milordi on their Grand Tours. His complementary volumes on ancient and modern Rome remained in print long after his death: Thomas Jefferson purchased both volumes while he was abroad in 1785-89.