began to explore and document the architecture, topography and history of Rome, and in the process revived a vision of Rome's former glory.

Biondo's first work was De Roma instaurata (Rome Restored, 3 vols., 1444-1448), a reconstruction of ancient Roman topography. It was and remains a highly influential humanist vision of restoring Rome to its previous heights of grandeur by recreating what Rome used to look like based on the ruins which remained. This work was the first systematic and well documented