Learn

The Interactive Nolli Map website makes an incredible historical document available to the general public and brings ancient Rome alive.

In 1748 after years of compiling data, architect and surveyor Giambattista Nolli produced a bird’s eye view of the Eternal City that modern surveys and sophisticated satellite images have confirmed as being accurate to within a very small margin of error.

Similar to the way many online zoning maps of U.S. municipalities work, the online map has zooming and panning capabilities. Layers may be turned on which help illustrate natural features (Tiber River, hills), political boundaries (Rioni), public spaces (fountains, city gates, pathways), and even a current satellite photo. Fader bars allow for gorgeous overlays, bringing the complexity and richness of these great urban spaces into context with their surrounding environment.

Wish they had this when I was an architecture student.