Corsi Collection of Decorative Stones

Find out more about Faustino Corsi and his collections, and about the Corsi project.

You can discover more about Faustino Corsi and his collection in these short articles:

Why Faustino Corsi’s collection is so special

Faustino Corsi’s collection, with its 1,000 large samples of ancient and modern polished stones, is a remarkable resource for modern researchers. Corsi gave particular emphasis to recording quarry locations, and was one of the first to organise a decorative stone collection according to geological principles. His collection allows us to see exactly which stones he was referring to in his books, Catalogo ragionato d'una collezione di pietre antiche, and Delle pietre antiche, publications that were to be the most important reference works on ancient stone for nearly 140 years. Read more...

Faustino Corsi and his collection in Rome

The Roman Lawyer Avvocato Faustino Corsi (1771-1846) lived all his life in Rome where he was a highly respected judge. A family man, he enjoyed music and the arts, but he was most passionate about the decorative stones used by the ancient Romans, and his collection attracted many important visitors. Read more...

Stephen Jarrett and how the Corsi collection came to Oxford

When the British Museum was in covert negotiations to buy Corsi’s collection, Oxford geologist Dr William Buckland was one of those who wrote to the Museum’s Trustees to recommend the purchase. The Trustees prevaricated. Meanwhile, a young student Stephen Jarrett braved winter weather to travel to Rome and buy Corsi’s collection as a gift for the University of Oxford. What made Jarrett go on this journey, and why should a collection of marbles mean so much to him? Read more...

The Corsi collection in Oxford

Corsi’s collection arrived in Oxford to much publicity and was housed in purpose- built cases in the University’s science library. When the library moved to the new Museum of Natural History, the collection came too, but it was left neglected in a gloomy upper gallery. The collection was rescued from obscurity by the combined efforts of Henry Miers, the new Professor of Mineralogy, and Mary Porter, a gifted young volunteer. Read more...

Faustino Corsi’s other collections

After he sold his collection of decorative stones to Stephen Jarrett, Corsi made at least one more collection, very different in style, which was presented to the British Geological Survey and is now in the Natural History Museum in London. Read more...

The Corsi project

Faustino Corsi always intended his collection to be used as a reference to help identify polished stone, and he stressed the importance of recording quarry locations. The Corsi project has revealed and corrected a number of his errors. It has also enabled us to image all the stones with a standard colour reference. The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation has generously funded this website, and now we would like to hear from you about your experience of using it. Read more...