Rome, 200 artifacts on display to tell the story of the archaeological collection of the Ecole francaise de Rome

From May 29 to Dec. 2024, the exhibition spaces of the Gallery at 62 Piazza Navona, home of theÉcole française de Rome, will host the exhibition Un museo per École: la collezione di antichità dell’École française de Rome curated by archaeologists Christian Mazet and Paolo Tomassini, on the occasion of the École’s 150th anniversary. The exhibition is dedicated to the archaeological collection of the École française de Rome: about two hundred artifacts are on display for the first time, including sculptures, Etruscan-Latian terracottas, Greek and Etruscan vases, as well as documents from the archives of the École française de Rome and the inventories of the furnishings of Palazzo Farnese.

The exhibition is divided into five sections: the first is devoted to the history of collecting and the antiques market in the late 19th century. Representative objects and archival documents will be presented for this purpose, telling the story of the links between the protagonists of this history, such as Auguste Geffroy, Jules Ferry, Augusto Castellani and Wolfgang Helbig. The second is dedicated to the first excavations carried out by the École française de Rome in Palestrina in 1878, with a large collection of votive Etruscan-Latium terracottas, while the third is devoted to the presentation of Roman sculptures, which will be exceptionally moved from the reception rooms to the second floor of Palazzo Farnese. The fourth section presents the rich collection of vases donated by Augusto Castellani. It also examines the antiquities trade in Rome in the second half of the 19th century, as well as the restoration of vases and the interaction between assemblages and other forgeries. Finally, the fifth section presents an accumulation of objects collected because of the variety of materials, where abundance and archaeological representativeness become useful training tools for the study of Roman material culture.

Aiming to create a dialogue between the past of the École, the present of the exhibition and the future of research and enhancement, the exhibition is also presented in a virtual form, with 3D models projected as holograms, videos on screens and QR codes giving access to the online catalog of individual objects.

“We are delighted to present to the public our collection of antiquities, which testifies to the commitment and vocation of the École française de Rome in the field of archaeology, research and dissemination of knowledge to the general public as well,” commented Brigitte Marin, director of the École française de Rome. “Rome is thus enriched with another cultural reference point intended for all visitors. The exhibition fulfills after 150 years the wish of the institution’s first director, Auguste Geffroy, to set up a museum of antiquities to train its members through the practice of archaeology. The diversity of the collection reflects the history of the practice of archaeological objects within the École française de Rome at the time of its founding in the late 19th century. Consisting of the product of excavations carried out by the institution and from purchases and donations of objects, the collection ranges across a variety of themes that demonstrate its richness and importance.”

The exhibition is supported by the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research and the association Les Amis de l’École française de Rome and is organized with the Réseau des Écoles françaises à l’étranger. It will be accompanied by a landmark monograph, due out in fall 2024, which is the first scholarly publication entirely devoted to the archaeological collection of the École française de Rome. The book is edited by Christian Mazet and Paolo Tomassini, former members of the École française de Rome in the Antiquities section.

Free admission.

For info: https://www.efrome.it/

Hours: Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Image: View of the early Christian sarcophagus displayed in the Loggia of Palazzo Farnese. Photo EFR/ Christian Mantuano.

Rome, 200 artifacts on display to tell the story of the archaeological collection of the Ecole francaise de Rome

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