Antonio Francesco Gori
Encyclopedia
Antonio Francesco Gori, on his titlepages Franciscus Gorius (9 December 1691 – 20 January 1757) was a Florentine
antiquarian
, a priest in minor orders
, provost of the Baptistery of San Giovanni from 1746, and a professor at the Liceo, whose numerous publications of ancient Roman sculpture and antiquities formed part of the repertory on which 18th-century scholarship as well as the artistic movement of neoclassicism
were based. In 1735 he was a founding member of a circle of antiquaries and connoisseurs in Florence called the Società Colombaria, the predecessor of the Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere la Colombaria, in order to foster "not only Tuscan Poetry and Eloquence, or one faculty only; but almost all the most distinguished and useful parts of human knowledge: in a word, it is what the Greeks called Encyclopedia".
studies of Filippo Buonarroti
(1661-1733). He made a dramatic discovery in 1726 on the Via Appia near Rome. It was the columbarium
of the household, both free and slaves, of Livia
, the consort of Emperor Augustus. The following year he published it, with notes by Salvini, in a handsome folio with 21 engraved plates, under the title Monumentum sive columbarium libertorum et servorum Liviae Augustae et Caesarum, Romae detectum in Via Appia, anno MDCCXXVI (Florence, 1727). Each of the book's plates was dedicated to an influential patron of the arts or a well-known connoisseur of antiquities, among them the English merchant banker Joseph Smith of Venice
, who, though not yet English consul, was already a promising collector and patron, and Sir Thomas Dereham (died 1738), an English bachelor who had been educated at the court of Cosimo III de' Medici and continued to reside in the city. Another publication of 1727 was Gori's repertory of classical inscriptions, Inscriptiones graecae et latinae.
No doubt on the strength of his publication the previous year, Gori was commissioned by the Salviati to produce descriptive text for a vanity publication that described the chapel of Saint Antonino, bishop of Florence, in the church of San Marco
, a vehicle of Salviati patronage and of their public figura; the preface was signed by Alamanno Salviati.
and other collections in Florence
of antiquities of all kinds; the project eventually extended to twelve folio volumes, published 1731-1766. Gori employed artists like Giovanni Domenico Campiglia, Giovanni Domenico Ferretti and Antonio Pazzi to draw copies of famous works of which he oversaw the engraving and publication. The first volume, in two parts, Gemmae antiquae ex Thesauro Mediceo et privatorum dactyliothecis florentiae ... Imagines virorum illustrium et deorum. (1731-32) covered antique cameos and portraits, with 200 plates. The second volume, Statuae antiquae deorum et virorum illustrium (1734) was on Roman statues and monuments, with 100 plates; it was dedicated to Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
, last of the Medici Grand Dukes, whose collection dominated the publication. The third volume, in three parts, Antiqua numismata aurea et argentea (1740 [I and II] and 1742 [III], with 121 plates, discussed only gold and silver coins of Antiquity, for those who could afford these publications did not consider bronze coins sufficiently rare and interesting to value them. A fourth volume, Serie di ritratti degli eccellenti pittori simply consists of fifty portraits of well-known artists, architects, sculptors and engravers. The Museum Florentinum described for the first time many of the sculptures and antiquities in the Medici collections.
, in a series of volumes, his Museum Etruscum, in three volumes published between 1736 and 1743. These are among the incunabula of Etruscan studies, and incurred the jealous criticism of his rival in incipient Etruscology
, Francesco Scipione Maffei (1675-1755); the two engaged in running skirmishes in print.
He edited Giovanni Battista Doni
's collected transcriptions of ancient inscriptions (1732), and issued a publication on Late Antique and Byzantine ivory diptych
s. His Museum cortonense (Rome 1750) in cooperation with Rodolfo Venuti of Cortona and Francesco Valesi of Rome, described antiquities in Cortona
, both in the academy and in noblemen's collections.
Gori catalogued the collection of antique carved gems assembled by the Venetian art dealer and connoisseur Antonio Maria Zanetti (1698-1767), so it was natural at the end of his career that he compile the catalogue of the engraved and carved gem and cameo collection assembled by Consul Smith in Venice, not only carefully describing the gems, illustrated in 100 engraved plates, but also included a detailed history of gem engraving and a discussion of gem engravers, though he concentrated on the iconography of the subjects represented and did not attempt to ascribe the gems to a period. After purchase of many of the gems for George III, the work was sumptuously printed by J.B. Pasquali in Venice, as Dactyliotheca Smithiana., 1767.
Gori's other notable works include the earliest widely-read published description of the first discoveries at Herculaneum
, 1748.Symbolae litterariae (Florence and Rome, 1748-51).
Gori was also an authority on the Greek vases being found in such quantities in Etruria that they were considered to be Etruscan.
Others remember Gori because of Galileo Galilei
's finger, allegedly stolen by Gori from Galileo's tomb at Santa Croce
, when Galileo's remains were transferred on 12 March 1737; the finger was kept in a bottle in the Bibliotheca Medicea
at San Lorenzo, and shown to visitors.
Gori is buried in the church of San Marco, Florence.
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, a priest in minor orders
Minor orders
The minor orders are the lowest ranks in the Christian clergy. The most recognized minor orders are porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte. In the Latin rite Catholic Church, the minor orders were in most cases replaced by "instituted" ministries of lector and acolyte, though communities that use...
, provost of the Baptistery of San Giovanni from 1746, and a professor at the Liceo, whose numerous publications of ancient Roman sculpture and antiquities formed part of the repertory on which 18th-century scholarship as well as the artistic movement of neoclassicism
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
were based. In 1735 he was a founding member of a circle of antiquaries and connoisseurs in Florence called the Società Colombaria, the predecessor of the Accademia Toscana di Scienze e Lettere la Colombaria, in order to foster "not only Tuscan Poetry and Eloquence, or one faculty only; but almost all the most distinguished and useful parts of human knowledge: in a word, it is what the Greeks called Encyclopedia".
Gori's early career
As a young man Gori studied with Anton Maria Salvini (1653-1729) and was inspired by the EtruscanEtruscan civilization
Etruscan civilization is the modern English name given to a civilization of ancient Italy in the area corresponding roughly to Tuscany. The ancient Romans called its creators the Tusci or Etrusci...
studies of Filippo Buonarroti
Filippo Buonarroti
Filippo Buonarroti , the great-grandnephew of Michelangelo Buonarroti, was a Florentine official at the court of Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany and an antiquarian, whose Etruscan studies, among the earliest in that field, inspired Antonio Francesco Gori...
(1661-1733). He made a dramatic discovery in 1726 on the Via Appia near Rome. It was the columbarium
Columbarium
A columbarium is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns . The term comes from the Latin columba and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons .The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a particularly fine ancient Roman example, rich in...
of the household, both free and slaves, of Livia
Livia
Livia Drusilla, , after her formal adoption into the Julian family in AD 14 also known as Julia Augusta, was a Roman empress as the third wife of the Emperor Augustus and his adviser...
, the consort of Emperor Augustus. The following year he published it, with notes by Salvini, in a handsome folio with 21 engraved plates, under the title Monumentum sive columbarium libertorum et servorum Liviae Augustae et Caesarum, Romae detectum in Via Appia, anno MDCCXXVI (Florence, 1727). Each of the book's plates was dedicated to an influential patron of the arts or a well-known connoisseur of antiquities, among them the English merchant banker Joseph Smith of Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, who, though not yet English consul, was already a promising collector and patron, and Sir Thomas Dereham (died 1738), an English bachelor who had been educated at the court of Cosimo III de' Medici and continued to reside in the city. Another publication of 1727 was Gori's repertory of classical inscriptions, Inscriptiones graecae et latinae.
No doubt on the strength of his publication the previous year, Gori was commissioned by the Salviati to produce descriptive text for a vanity publication that described the chapel of Saint Antonino, bishop of Florence, in the church of San Marco
San Marco, Florence
San Marco is the name of a religious complex in Florence, Italy. It comprises a church and a convent. The convent, which is now a museum, has three claims to fame: during the 15th century it was home to two famous Dominicans, the painter Fra Angelico and the preacher, Girolamo Savonarola...
, a vehicle of Salviati patronage and of their public figura; the preface was signed by Alamanno Salviati.
Museum Florentinum
The major undertaking that gave Gori a European reputation was under way from the early 1730s, when Gori started work on the Museum Florentinum, a comprehensive visual record of the MediciMedici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
and other collections in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
of antiquities of all kinds; the project eventually extended to twelve folio volumes, published 1731-1766. Gori employed artists like Giovanni Domenico Campiglia, Giovanni Domenico Ferretti and Antonio Pazzi to draw copies of famous works of which he oversaw the engraving and publication. The first volume, in two parts, Gemmae antiquae ex Thesauro Mediceo et privatorum dactyliothecis florentiae ... Imagines virorum illustrium et deorum. (1731-32) covered antique cameos and portraits, with 200 plates. The second volume, Statuae antiquae deorum et virorum illustrium (1734) was on Roman statues and monuments, with 100 plates; it was dedicated to Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
Gian Gastone de' Medici was the seventh and last Medicean Grand Duke of Tuscany. He was the second son of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Marguerite Louise d'Orléans, Princess of France...
, last of the Medici Grand Dukes, whose collection dominated the publication. The third volume, in three parts, Antiqua numismata aurea et argentea (1740 [I and II] and 1742 [III], with 121 plates, discussed only gold and silver coins of Antiquity, for those who could afford these publications did not consider bronze coins sufficiently rare and interesting to value them. A fourth volume, Serie di ritratti degli eccellenti pittori simply consists of fifty portraits of well-known artists, architects, sculptors and engravers. The Museum Florentinum described for the first time many of the sculptures and antiquities in the Medici collections.
Other publications
Gori also published ancient inscriptions found in EtruriaEtruria
Etruria—usually referred to in Greek and Latin source texts as Tyrrhenia—was a region of Central Italy, an area that covered part of what now are Tuscany, Latium, Emilia-Romagna, and Umbria. A particularly noteworthy work dealing with Etruscan locations is D. H...
, in a series of volumes, his Museum Etruscum, in three volumes published between 1736 and 1743. These are among the incunabula of Etruscan studies, and incurred the jealous criticism of his rival in incipient Etruscology
Etruscology
Etruscology is the study of the ancient Italian civilization of the Etruscans, which was incorporated into an expanding Roman Empire during the period of Rome's Middle Republic...
, Francesco Scipione Maffei (1675-1755); the two engaged in running skirmishes in print.
He edited Giovanni Battista Doni
Giovanni Battista Doni
Giovanni Battista Doni was an Italian musicologist who made an extensive study of ancient music. Known, among other works, for having changed the name of note Ut renaming it Do after his own family name to ease solfege.- Life :...
's collected transcriptions of ancient inscriptions (1732), and issued a publication on Late Antique and Byzantine ivory diptych
Diptych
A diptych di "two" + ptychē "fold") is any object with two flat plates attached at a hinge. Devices of this form were quite popular in the ancient world, wax tablets being coated with wax on inner faces, for recording notes and for measuring time and direction.In Late Antiquity, ivory diptychs with...
s. His Museum cortonense (Rome 1750) in cooperation with Rodolfo Venuti of Cortona and Francesco Valesi of Rome, described antiquities in Cortona
Cortona
Cortona is a town and comune in the province of Arezzo, in Tuscany, Italy. It is the main cultural and artistic center of the Val di Chiana after Arezzo.-History:...
, both in the academy and in noblemen's collections.
Gori catalogued the collection of antique carved gems assembled by the Venetian art dealer and connoisseur Antonio Maria Zanetti (1698-1767), so it was natural at the end of his career that he compile the catalogue of the engraved and carved gem and cameo collection assembled by Consul Smith in Venice, not only carefully describing the gems, illustrated in 100 engraved plates, but also included a detailed history of gem engraving and a discussion of gem engravers, though he concentrated on the iconography of the subjects represented and did not attempt to ascribe the gems to a period. After purchase of many of the gems for George III, the work was sumptuously printed by J.B. Pasquali in Venice, as Dactyliotheca Smithiana., 1767.
Gori's other notable works include the earliest widely-read published description of the first discoveries at Herculaneum
Herculaneum
Herculaneum was an ancient Roman town destroyed by volcanic pyroclastic flows in AD 79, located in the territory of the current commune of Ercolano, in the Italian region of Campania in the shadow of Mt...
, 1748.Symbolae litterariae (Florence and Rome, 1748-51).
Gori was also an authority on the Greek vases being found in such quantities in Etruria that they were considered to be Etruscan.
Others remember Gori because of Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
's finger, allegedly stolen by Gori from Galileo's tomb at Santa Croce
Santa Croce
Santa Croce is one of the six sestieri of Venice, northern Italy.-Geography:It occupies the north west part of the main islands, and can be divided into two areas: the eastern area being largely mediaeval, and the western - including the main port and the Tronchetto - mostly lying on land reclaimed...
, when Galileo's remains were transferred on 12 March 1737; the finger was kept in a bottle in the Bibliotheca Medicea
Laurentian Library
The Laurentian Library is a historical library in Florence, Italy, containing a repository of more than 11,000 manuscripts and 4,500 early printed books...
at San Lorenzo, and shown to visitors.
Gori is buried in the church of San Marco, Florence.