Design for a vertical wall panel with the Maltese cross, for Santa Maria del Priorato

As part of his Santa Maria del Priorato commission, Piranesi designed the piazza in front of the church. On one side of the square, a high wall screened the garden of the Knights of Malta. On the opposite side, Piranesi created a matching wall paneled with high stucco reliefs. This drawing is a final design for one such relief. The Maltese cross at center is the symbol of the knights; the lyre and panpipes were Etruscan symbols for Piranesi, and he included them as a reference to the Aventine Hill's legendary history as a site of Etruscan cult practices. The towers in the medallions are a reference to the Rezzonico arms, in recognition of Piranesi's patron.