FICORONI, FRANCESCO de'. - Born in 1664 at Lugnano near Valmontone in Lazio, died in Rome on 1 February 1747, he was a scholar of antiquities and one of the best-known collectors of his time. He collected chiefly coins, engraved mirrors, lead objects, bullae, etc. A large ornate cista found at Palestrina is famous; despite generous offers from the Englishman Frederic, he donated it to the Kircherian Museum. Today this cista, customarily designated by the name of its former collector, is in the National Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome.
He was the author of various publications, such as Dei tali ed altri istruenti lavori degli antichi (Rome, 1734), I piombi antichi (ibid., 1740), intended to illustrate objects collected by him; of a topographical nature is the volume Le vestigia e rarità di Roma ricercate e spiegate (ibid., 1744).
Also noteworthy is the work Gemmae antiquae litteratae aliaeque variores, published posthumously in 1757 under the editorship of Fr. Nicola Galeotti, in which certain Christian objects are also described.