A journey between archaeology and pop culture, with comics as the thread to tell the story of the Etruscans, one of the most fascinating civilizations of antiquity. Until Dec. 31, 2025, the Civic Museum for the Prehistory of Mount Cetona in Cetona , Arezzo, is hosting the exhibition Comic Book Adventures in the World of the Etruscans, which opened Saturday, July 26, curated by Giulio Paolucci and Maria Teresa Cuda, and is destined to accompany the public throughout the second half of the year.
The exhibition comes just over a year after the closing of Lucy. Dream of an Evolution, an exhibition curated by Comicon that had received wide acclaim, confirming the museum’s interest in the language of illustration as a means of dissemination. With this new initiative, drawing and graphic storytelling return as protagonists, this time with a focus on the Etruscan universe.
At the heart of the exhibition is a valuable private collection of illustrated albums and volumes, granted by the owners, documenting how the Etruscans have been represented in comics throughout nearly a century of publishing production. From the earliest examples from the 1930s to contemporary publications, the exhibition brings archaeology and popular imagination into dialogue, offering an unprecedented and engaging look.
There is no shortage of famous figures from drawn fiction: Mickey Mouse, Alix, Martin Mystère, Java and Mister No are just some of the heroes and anti-heroes who, over time, have encountered and reinterpreted the Etruscan world in their adventures. Through their stories, the ancient Italian civilization is reinterpreted in a narrative, ironic and sometimes fantastic key, demonstrating how comics is capable of continually renewing its relationship with the past.
The exhibition itinerary is developed in two main sections within the museum. The first offers panels with reproductions of the most significant panels, selected for their artistic value and ability to narrate the Etruscans through different languages. The second, on the other hand, offers an interactive experience: thanks to mobile devices, visitors can digitally browse other illustrated stories, thus expanding the exploration beyond the materials physically on display. Complementing the exhibition is a small catalog with popular texts that delve into the theme and contextualize the works presented.
The initiative is part of the broader framework of the celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the Etruscan Project 85/25, promoted by the Region of Tuscany in collaboration with local bodies and institutions. This project, launched in the mid-1980s, was instrumental in the enhancement of the Etruscan heritage and the birth or renovation of numerous archaeological museums. Although not at the center of the permanent itinerary of the Cetona Civic Museum, the Etruscan remains represent a significant component of the regional context, which is why the town enthusiastically joined the initiative.
The exhibition not only celebrates the Etruscan universe, but also reaffirms the museum’s vocation to use illustrated language as an immediate and accessible form of communication. In this sense, Comic Book Adventures in the World of the Etruscans fits into an exhibition itinerary that in Cetona has already seen other initiatives dedicated to drawing and illustration, such as Great Mammals of the Quaternary by Alessandro Mangione in 1999 or Drawing Archaeology. Prehistory in the illustrations of Mauro Cutrona in 2011. More recently, the Lucy exhibition had reaffirmed this focus, emphasizing how drawing can be an effective bridge between past and present.
With the new exhibition, the Civic Museum for Prehistory of Mount Cetona thus continues a consistent line, offering original tools to bring the public closer to ancient history. Through comics, the Etruscans are returned in an unusual guise, close to contemporary sensibilities. It is an approach that aims to involve a transversal audience: children and families, comic book enthusiasts, scholars and the curious can find reasons for interest and different keys to interpretation, united by the common denominator of graphic storytelling.
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| How the Etruscans have been represented in comic book history: an exhibition |
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