Picture of the Capitoline Hill or “Capitolium”
In this 18th century print of the Capitol in Rome we can see an obvious effort to show a square layout of walls around a sanctuary which was quite likely meant to be the temple to Jupiter or to the Capitoline Triad. We know this temple was started under the reign of the 7 kings of Rome and archeological research has demonstrated it to be of Etruscan inspiration rather than the rather Renaissance looking structure here which is reminiscent of San Giovanni in Laterano or Saint Peter’s basilica.
An ancient Roman triumph parade through a triumphal arch like the arch of Constantine (this thumbnail is a section!) Several triumphal arches pictures are shown further below.
The image is quite clearly driven by references to literature rather than actual archeological digs but we can see it makes an attempt to introduce a number of the elements the draughtsman was acquainted with: Four entrance gates to the Capitoline Hill, in similar fashion to the archaic “square Rome“, the foremost one of which looks rather like a triumphal arch. Domed temples of the style of the Pantheon and more classical temples of the style of that of Hercules at the Forum Boarium are shown outside the walls.