Fea Carlo at The Borghese Garden, Italy

myminifactory

Carlo Fea was a renowned Italian archaeologist born on February 2, 1753. He hailed from Pigna in Liguria and later studied law in Rome at La Sapienza University, earning his doctor of laws degree but gradually shifting his focus to archaeology. In 1798, Fea took holy orders to gain better research opportunities, only to be forced into exile in Florence due to political reasons. Following his return to Rome in 1799, he was imprisoned by the Neapolitans for being a Jacobin but was soon released and appointed Commissario delle Antichità and librarian to Prince Chigi. Fea's archaeological prowess led him to discover the Discobolus statue in Rome in 1781, one of the renowned Roman copies of Myron's famous Greek bronze original. He played a key role in shaping legislation to regulate antiquities trading and excavation in Rome, conducting extensive research on the Pantheon and Forum. Fea was also an accomplished writer, revising and annotating an Italian translation of Johann Joachim Winckelmann's Geschichte der Kunst, as well as annotating Giovanni Ludovico Bianconi's works. His original writings, including Miscellanea filologica, critica, e antiquaria and Descrizione di Roma Antica e Moderna, remain highly regarded today. Fea passed away in Rome on March 18, 1836, leaving behind a lasting legacy as one of the most prominent Italian archaeologists of his time.