FEA, CARLO. - Archaeologist, b. at Pigna, near Oneglia in Liguria, on 4 June 1753, d. at Rome on 17 March 1836, buried in S. Lorenzo in Lucina. Having gone to Rome while still a youth, he set out on a legal career, studying civil and canon law at the Sapienza. Ordained a priest, he was appointed librarian of the Chigiana and then 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 law 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 was to be rebuilt after the fire of 1821, he was a vigorous supporter of a reconstruction faithful to the previous one, opposing among others also the different project of Valadier, which had already obtained the highest approvals.
His principal activity was directed to investigating the memories of ancient Rome, convinced that the papacy would derive sure advantages also from bringing back to light the monumental testimonies of the greatness of Rome, of which the Church is the heir. Many of his investigations, although they were made known in lectures and in publications of small size, 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'anfiteatro Flavio e nel Foro Traiano con iscrizioni ivi 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 trionfali ultimamente scoperti nel Foro Romano e altrove (1820); Descrizione ragionata della sagrosanta 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). On the ruins of Rome that were added to the third volume of the reprint of the translation of Winckelmann's History of Art.
Bibliography6 works
Giuseppe Bovini