Taranto's MArTA Opens an Exhibition on Ancient Sports Ahead of the Mediterranean Games

On July 24, the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto will open the exhibition *The Art of Victory. Athletes and Competitions in the Mediterranean, an exhibition project exploring the theme of sports andathletics in the world of Magna Graecia and the ancient Mediterranean in connection with the upcoming 20th edition of the 2026 Mediterranean Games. The press preview is scheduled for Friday, July 24, at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s Lippolis Hall, while the opening ceremony will take place at 8:00 p.m. in the presence of civil, military, and religious authorities, as well as representatives of the Mediterranean Games.

The centerpiece of the exhibition is the figure of the so-called Athlete of Taranto, a man who died in the early 5th century B.C. whose remains are preserved at MArTA along with the sarcophagus and Panathenaic amphorae that accompanied him in his burial. These vases, awarded as prizes in competitions dedicated to Athena, bear witness to the athlete’s victories and serve as the starting point for the exhibition itinerary.

Alongside the archaeological finds, the exhibition also presents new scientific findings regarding the Athlete of Taranto, developed through collaboration with the CNR and La Sapienza University of Rome. The project also aims to create a dialogue between past and present through the Temporary Art display cases, where the archaeological heritage is juxtaposed with symbolic figures from contemporary sports. In this context, there is also a tribute to Erasmo Iacovone, the legendary forward for Taranto Calcio.

Directors and curators from museums in Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Tanzania will also participate in the press conference via remote connection. The four institutions contributed to the creation of the exhibition section dedicated to artifacts from both sides of the Mediterranean as part of the fourth edition of the International School of Cultural Heritage, a project promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Directorate General for European Affairs, and launched by the National School of Heritage and Cultural Activities as part of the objectives of the Mattei Plan.

During the event, the activities carried out by MArTA and the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with and in support of the 20th edition of the Mediterranean Games will also be presented. In addition to Director Stella Falzone, the presentation will be attended by the president of the Organizing Committee for the 20th Mediterranean Games, Massimo Ferrarese, and the general director of the Organizing Committee, Carlo Molfetta.

“The concept for this exhibition,” says Director Stella Falzone, “arose from the desire to highlight the close connection between the athletic virtue passed down to us by the region’s archaeology—rooted in the story of an ancient athlete who lived in Taranto— and the value of athletics in the contemporary era, as part of a millennia-old history that finds an exceptional opportunity for celebration and shared action within the international context of the Mediterranean Games. The athletic act as an opportunity for different peoples and cultures to come together in the spirit of peace.”

Taranto's MArTA Opens an Exhibition on Ancient Sports Ahead of the Mediterranean Games

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