Hidden treasures: the Torlonia Marbles

It is the greatest private collection of Classical antiquities in the world – described by some as rivalling even that of the Vatican. But for decades its treasures have remained hidden from public view, known only from old photographs and a catalogue published in the 19th century. Now a protracted legal battle between a Roman prince and the Italian state has at last been resolved – and, after many years of negotiations and false starts, 90 masterpieces from the extraordinary collection of the noble princes of Torlonia will finally go on display this spring at the Palazzo Caffarelli, a major new extension to the Capitoline Museums in Rome.

below Marble statue of a goddess, possibly Hestia, the Greek goddess of the hearth, probably a 2nd-century AD Roman copy of a Greek bronze original. Formerly in the Giustiniani collection in Rome. Size: 200cm tall — Marble statue of a goddess, possibly Hestia, the Greek goddess of the hearth, probably a 2nd-century AD Roman copy of a Greek bronze original. Formerly in the Giustiniani collection in Rome. Size: 200cm tall

Entitled The Torlonia Marbles: Collecting Masterpieces, the exhibition – to be opened on 4 April 2020 – will run for nine months as a prelude to a grand international tour (the details of which have yet to be announced) before returning permanently to Rome. The show – designed by the Milan office of David Chipperfield Architects, the firm behind Margate’s Turner Contemporary gallery – will be the first to be held at a new exhibition space within the Palazzo Caffarelli, which flanks the main body of the Musei Capitolini. The imposing palazzo, which once housed the Prussian embassy, was built in the 16th century for the Caffarelli family on land given to it by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V (1500-1558). Its large terrace, complete with cafeteria and restaurant, allows visitors to enjoy a stunning view from the Capitoline Hill over the palaces, churches, and rooftops of Rome, spreading out below the cliffs on which it is perched – a fitting setting for an exceptional new cultural attraction.

OPPOSITE Roman marble bust of an old man, dating to 1st century BC, found at Otricoli in Umbria. Size: 75cm tall Left Three marble portraits of Roman ladies, from 1st century AD. Sizes: 71-87cm tall below Etruscan marble portrait of a young woman, found at Vulci. Size: 70cm tall — Three marble portraits of Roman ladies, from 1st century AD. Sizes: 71-87cm tall

The choice of location is testament to the curators’ intention to place the exhibition firmly in the context of the history of collecting antiquities in Rome: the Capitoline Museums are themselves the result of generous papal and aristocratic patronage over the centuries. The museums’ history can be traced back to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV (1414-1484) donated a collection of important ancient bronzes to the people of Rome. They included the Capitoline Wolf (long believed to date from the 5th century BC, but now considered more likely to have been cast in the 11th-12th centuries AD), the famous sculpture depicting a she-wolf suckling the mythical twins Romulus and Remus, which became the symbol of Rome. The works were moved from Sixtus’ seat at the Lateran Palace to the Capitoline Hill, where they were and still are displayed. The original collection grew and, following the acquisition by Pope Clement XII (1652-1740) of an outstanding collection of ancient statues and inscriptions from Cardinal Alessandro Albani (1692-1779), the Capitoline Museums were opened to the public in 1734 – making it the first museum in the world where art could be enjoyed for free by all, and not just by its owners.

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