Through two key moments in the three centuries-long history of the famous collection of Borghese antiquities (formation and dispersal), the author attempts to retrace the phases, methods and chronology involved in the composition of the sculptural decoration of the main façade of Casino Pinciano with the aid of documents not previously examined, back to the very early years of the 19th century. The course of the research is marked by the two key-moments of formation and dispersal of the famous Borghese collection of antiquities. Thus a small but significant step forward is made in our understanding of the aims, expectations, cultural tensions and changes in perspective regarding interest in ancient marbles within the broader context of antiquity collecting. The sculptures on the facade, presented here for the first time, will be studied and analyzed in a subsequent publication.
