Dimostrazione in grande del capitello di una delle colonne del Tempio di Giunonedentro i portici d'Ottavia. (Reconstruction of details of the capital of a column of the Temple of Juno within the Portico of Octavia.)

In carefully articulating every aspect of remaining ruins, Piranesi set out to illustrate the precepts of Vitruvius on the 'division, durability, grandeur and beauty' of the buildings of ancient Rome. According to Jonathon Scott (Piranesi, Academy Editions, 1975), he blithely trespassed in gardens and vineyards to pry out tumbled and unrecognised ruins, quizzing local farmers to find out the exact location of recent finds, and even undertook certain excavations himself.

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