FEA, CARLO. — Archaeologist, born at Pigna, near Oneglia in Liguria, on 4 June 1753, died in Rome on 17 March 1836, and buried in S. Lorenzo in Lucina. Having gone to Rome while still very young, he embarked upon a legal career, studying civil and canon law at the Sapienza. Ordained a priest, he was appointed librarian of the Chigiana and later, by Pius VII, commissioner of antiquities. He gave particular impetus to the excavations of the Roman Forum and laid, as it were, the foundations of modern legislation for the protection of the artistic heritage, inspiring the edict of Cardinal Pacca. With regard to the debated question of how the basilica of S. Paolo should be rebuilt after the fire of 1821, he was a strong advocate of a reconstruction faithful to the previous one, opposing, among others, Valadier’s different project, which had already received the highest approval.
His principal activity was devoted to investigating the memories of ancient Rome, convinced that the papacy would also derive certain advantages from bringing to light once more the monumental testimonies to the greatness of Rome, of which the Church is the heir. Many of his investigations, although made known in lectures and small publications, still retain their value.
His principal publications are: Annotazioni alla memoria dei diritti del Principato sugli antichi edifici pubblici sacri e profani (1806); Notizie degli scavi nell'unifreddire Flavio e nel Foro Traiano con iscrizioni sul trovate, supplite e illustrate (1813); Nuova descrizione dei monumenti antichi ed oggetti d'arte contenuti nel Vaticano e nel Campidoglio (1819); Frammenti di fasti consolari e triomfali ultimamente scoperti nel Foro Romano e altrove (1820); Descrizione ragionata della sogrosunta patriarcale basilica e cappella papale di S. Francesco d'Assisi (1820); Descrizione di Roma e suoi contorni (3 vols., 1824); Aneddoti sulla basilica ostiense di S. Paolo, riuniti nel 1823 dopo l'incendio e recitati nell'Accademia di archeologia il 27 gen. 1825 (1825); Continuazione degli aneddoti della basilica
ostiense di S. Paolo (1826). Sulle rovine di Roma, which was added to the third volume of the reprint of the translation of Winckelmann’s Storia dell'arte.