Beyond Letarouilly

Within the Digital Humanities field, this contribution illustrates the role of metric survey and digital representation to interpret, analyze and disseminate the significance of historical volumes and drawings. More specifically, the paper presents the metrological, metric, and morphological analyses carried out on one of the architectures contained in the volume Edifices de Rome Moderne ou recueil del Palais, Maison, Eglises, Couvent, et autres monument publics et particuliers les plus remarquables de la ville de Rome elaborated by the architect Paul-Marie Letarouilly. Through the analyses of Letarouilly’s drawings of Palazzo Massimo in Rome, the contribution evidences the role and value of the book and its 354 plates to understand the architectures of Rome, between the 15th and the 18th century as well as their influences on the architectural lexicon of the 19th century. The adopted approach and the application of survey, and drawings theories illustrate the level of reliability and consistency of the drawings underlining the relevance of Letarouilly’s volumes to know and understand the architectural lexicon of the analyzed buildings and the significance of his studies in the definition of the shape and appearance of Rome in the massive edifications of Italy’s post-unification period.