La Memoria dell’osservazioni fatte sopra gl’antichi monumenti d’Ercolano l’anno 1769 di Camillo Paderni: un’istantanea del Museo Ercolanese di Portici e le ambizioni antiquarie del suo custode

In 1769, Camillo Paderni, custode (director) of the Museo Ercolanese, drew up this Memoria dell’osservazioni fatte sopra gl’Antichi monumenti d’Ercolano (Memoire of his observations about the ancient monuments of Herculaneum) for the Marquis Manuel Antonio de Horcasitas y Horcasitas, here full transcribed. This extensive and accurate description of the rooms and objects exhibited in the museum housed in the Portici Palace, accompanied by rapid sketches illustrating the finds from Herculaneum and Pompeii that were still unpublished at that time, offers a valuable first-hand account that greatly enriches our knowledge of their exhibition, especially regarding the presentation of the paintings.