Rome’s iconic amphitheatre reimagined through nature, memory and time

Discover the Colosseum through Pietro Ruffo’s eyes: a living landscape in which monumental architecture meets the persistent force of nature.

Reworking Piranesi’s historic engravings, Ruffo transforms the ancient amphitheatre into a scene traversed by plants, roots and branches. Vegetation appears to reclaim the stone, revealing a monument that is continually changing rather than frozen in history.

The imagery recalls the Colosseum’s remarkable botanical past, when hundreds of plant species flourished among its ruins. Here, architecture and vegetation become intertwined records of time, bringing human achievement into conversation with the natural world.

The title evokes the “last marvellous minute”: the idea that, if Earth’s history were compressed into a single day, humanity would appear only in its final moments. Through this intimate work, Ruffo invites us to consider how our brief presence can leave such profound traces.

For a collector, the piece offers a distinctive vision of Rome—one that rewards close looking while opening onto questions of history, coexistence and our place in the world.

Artwork details

• Artist: Pietro Ruffo.
• Title: Ultimo meraviglioso minuto. Teatro Flavio.
• Dimensions: 29 × 36 cm.
• Support: Paper mounted on canvas.

Shipping

Shipping is payable by the buyer. The cost will be calculated after the auction according to the delivery destination and the artwork’s size and weight.

This lot was donated by Pietro Ruffo.

This auction will close at the end of the Bambino Gesù Foundation Charity Gala, which will take place at Palazzo Barberini in Rome on 3 October 2026.



The winning bidder will receive all the necessary instructions for making payment by email.

If the winning lot needs to be shipped, any applicable shipping costs will be added to the final bid amount.