Cassiano Dal Pozzo

Cassiano dal Pozzo ( born February 21, 1588 Turin, † October 22, 1657 in Rome) was a Roman scholar and patron.

Life

Cassiano dal Pozzo was born in Turin. He spent much of his youth in Pisa in the home of an uncle, Carlo Antonio Dal Pozzo. This was archbishop and consultants of the Duke Fernando I de ' Medici. Dal Pozzo received a careful education, graduating with the degree of Doctor of Laws. Pisa at that time was famous for its university, had a botanical garden and was regarded as the center of the natural sciences. In Pisa or Florence he met Galileo Galilei know, where he remained all his life on friendly, even while operated by the Curia against Galileo process. In 1606 he returned for a short time in the Piedmont, from 1608 he worked in Siena as a judge, from 1611 he lived in Rome. In 1622 he became a member of the founded by Federico Cesi Accademia dei Lincei. From 1623 he was the secretary in the service of Cardinal Francesco Barberini, nephew of Pope Urban VIII

After the death of Federico Cesis Dal Pozzo bought from his estate books, materials science and natural history drawings which formed the basis for its unique at that time collection and documentation for archeology and the natural sciences. Cassiano dal Pozzo was one of a circle of aristocratic art collectors, scholars, booksellers and publishers who were interested in the ancient world, science and contemporary art. Close relations existed at the French scholar, aristocratic patrons and members of the Parisian court, as ever, the climate in Rome during the reign of Pope Urban VIII was very Francophile.

Dal Pozzo maintained a vast correspondence with correspondents in almost all of Europe, about forty volumes of this correspondence have been preserved. This correspondence was less the exchange of scientific knowledge, but the organization of academic life and art education. Although Dal Pozzo was as secretary, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, the center of power still his income were not abundant. His collection of paintings by contemporary artists was therefore modest. By Nicolas Poussin he had about forty pictures, including the famous Seven Sacraments and the Berlin self-portrait. In his collection were fourteen images of Vouet, two of Pietro da Cortona and some drawings by Bernini.

1625 to 1626 he undertook as a companion Barberinis trips to Spain and France, who did have a diplomatic mission, but both gave an opportunity to see French and Spanish art collections and to make important contacts. Also, the first contact with the French scholar Nicolas Claude Fabri de antiquarian and Peiresc (1580-1663), the non- demolition to Peiresc 's death, took place here. On the return trip Dal Pozzo was recorded in 1626 in Florence Accademia della Crusca in the. After his return to Rome he was referring to his brother and his family a house near Sant'Andrea della Valle, where he lived until his death.

The Paper Museum

Of particular importance († * in Turin, l August 1689 in Rome) is of Dal Pozzo with his brother Carlo Andrea dal Pozzo II initiated the project of the paper museum ( Museo it. cartaceo, lat Museum Cartaceum ), a modern -sounding company documenting all still visible traces of ancient life in Rome. This was not an aesthetic point of view of antiquity but the documentation of ancient realia to the ancient material culture. Over forty years he employed artist, the Roman antiquities and early Christian relics loomed. In addition to drawings, which were historical and archaeological purposes, such were collected natural history objects, as well as prints to current events as well as numerous drawings and prints of the masters of the sixteenth century. His museum eventually contained over 6,500 drawings. The results he had committed in a total of 23 books, arranged by five topic.

A lack of this archive, however, was the lack of a register or disclosive comment, so that this enormous fund of knowledge was difficult to use without the aid Dal Pozzo. After Dal Pozzo's death put his brother continued the project. In 1703 the family sold the entire archive Dal Pozzo to Pope Clement XI. , From which it passed into the possession of Cardinal Alessandro Albani. After 1743 Johann Joachim Winckelmann worked as a librarian for the Cardinal. Parts of the collection are now in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle and the British Museum in London.