Rome's Monuments and Artistic Treasures in Mme de Staël's Corinne (1807): Then and Now

Rome and its seven hills as they presented themselves to Mme de Staël today are quite different. Two centuries of ongoing excavations, restoration, and study have superseded much of the topology and topography described in Corinne (1807). Although Mme de Staël was fully abreast of historical and archeological research, such as it was in her day, many monuments today are differently designated and archeologists have uncovered temples, statues, and tombs that were unknown to her. Even more radical changes in the identifcation of ancient Roman monuments in an area adjoining the Forum have been taking place in recent years, so that local place names in Corinne are becoming increasingly inaccurate. (EB/AA)