Giovanni Battista Falda, "Basilica Vaticana", 1665
Giovanni Battista Falda (Valduggia 7 December 1643–22 August 1678, Rome) was an Italianarchitect, engraver, and artist. He is known for his engravings of both contemporary and antique structures of Rome.[1]
Biography
Falda's 1676 map of Rome
Falda was sent as a boy to Rome, to work in the studio of Bernini, and his draughtsmanship caught the eye of the publisherGiovanni Giacomo de Rossi.[2][3] He engraved for Le fontane di Roma (Fountains in Rome)[4] and for Palazzi di Roma (Palaces of Rome).[5] The former books were expanded after Falda's death with engravings by Francesco Venturini.[5] The latter was published in 1655 in collaboration with Pietro Ferrerio. He is sometimes known as 'Falda da Valduggia' because of his birthplace.
His works became particularly popular with the first waves of Grand Tour participants during the latter parts of the 17th century, and Falda became a commercial success as a result. His works appealed to tourists keen to retain a detailed and accurate representation of those parts of Rome they had visited.[6]
^The Fountains of Rome: Selected Plates, Giovanni Battista Falda, Giovanni Francesco Venturini; Dover Publications, (2014), with engravings of Villa Ludovisi at Frascati, The Fountain of the Triton by Bernini in Rome, and one of the fountains by Carlo Maderno in the Piazza in front of St Peter's in Rome.
