A new article has been published in English and in German on the Census’s verso research blog: “Raphael’s Map of Rome?” by Ian Verstegen.
The post presents Verstegen’s recent research on Raphael’s long-discussed project to document ancient Rome, reconsidering the extent to which this mapping project was realixed in practice. By examining shared scales across survey drawings by Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Baldassare Peruzzi, and others, the article argues that these works may have formed part of a coordinated effort to represent the city.
The study also demonstrates how the digital resources of the Census enable precise comparison of drawings, including their scales, making this form of analysis possible across dispersed material.
Find the Verso post in English here, and in German here. For Ian Verstegen’s article discussing on Raphael’s map of Rome, which inspired the post, see Verstegen, I. Raphael’s Lost Map of Rome? Connecting Antiquarian, Military and New Building Plans from Bramante to Bufalini. Nexus Netw J 28, 121–148 (2026).
Image: detail of Baldassare Peruzzi, Survey of the Baths of Diocletian, Florence Uffizi, Gabinetto dei disegni e delle stampe, inv. 622 A r
