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Abstract: The iconographic dossier of the representation of Rome during the plague of 1656-1657 makes a rereading of the entire written and graphic documentation possible. Surrounded by the plague, the city was organized as though under siege; the defense of the territory and the protection of the inhabitants rested on scientific programming, represented by the images providing technical and narrative information. The model seems to be taken from the 1630 epidemic and to be based on isolation and closure. The macabre reality of illness and death are hidden; the images, whether autonomous or based on texts, emphasize the action taken by the special “crisis” government and the effectiveness of the urgent measures rigorously applied. The epidemic was defeated thanks to a prudent and attentive pontifical power: the triumphant texts and images are at the service of its communication policies providing self-justification and celebration of those responsible, whether authors or those who commissioning the texts and images.