A direct confrontation between two famous bronze sculptures from Roman times is at the center of Victoria Mater. The Idol and the Icon, the installation conceived by Francesco Vezzoli and curated by Donatien Grau, adviser to the president of the Louvre for contemporary programs, presented in Brescia at the Capitolium of the Brescia Roman Archaeological Park from Dec. 4, 2025 to April 12, 2026. The initiative relates Brescia’s Winged Victory and Pesaro’sIdolin, the latter from the National Archaeological Museum in Florence, in a display designed to generate a formal and conceptual dialogue between two works that represent, in different ways, the figurative legacy of the Roman world. The project is part of an institutional collaboration between Fondazione Brescia Musei and the National Archaeological Museum of Florence. The synergy also includes a sister exhibition in the Tuscan capital, entitled Icons of Power and Beauty, scheduled from December 11, 2025 to April 9, 2026. The Florentine exhibition, curated by museum director Daniele Federico Maras and curator Barbara Arbeid, focuses on three bronze heads of Roman emperors from the Brescian collections, side by side with materials from the Medici collections. The path proposes a reflection on the use of images of power in the Roman Empire, with a focus on the third century CE, a period marked by deep political and cultural tensions.
The Brescian installation is part of the activities to enhance the archaeological area carried out by theFondazioneBrescia Musei, which in recent years has promoted a constant confrontation between ancient heritage and contemporary languages. Within this framework is the involvement of Vezzoli, called to elaborate a scenic vision capable of integrating the monumentality of the Capitolium with the presence of the two bronzes. The itinerary aims to offer new reading possibilities for works that have already been extensively studied, showing how contemporary investigation of ancient sculpture continues to produce up-to-date critical interpretations that are sensitive to both the artistic aspects and the social contexts of the eras in which these artifacts were made.
The project is promoted by Fondazione Brescia Musei and the Municipality of Brescia, with the collaboration of the Ministry of Culture through the General Directorate for Museums, the National Archaeological Museum of Florence and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure. Intesa Sanpaolo is supporting the initiative as a Partner, continuing a collaboration already active in previous enhancement projects. The event also opens the cycle of celebrations dedicated to the Bicentenary of the discovery of the bronze deposit in Brescia’s Capitolium, the place from which the Winged Victory, one of the best-known masterpieces of Roman bronze art in terms of quality of execution and state of preservation, came. The initiative is funded by the Lombardy Region as part of the call for Cultural Olympiads and is part of the Giochi della Cultura program, promoted by the Region itself in collaboration with Triennale Milano. Victoria Mater. The Idol and the Icon is also part of the Milan Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad, a widespread program designed to accompany the events of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to be held in Italy between February and March 2026. The aim is to promote a dialogue between art, culture and sport, in a framework of initiatives that will involve numerous institutions and territories. The collaboration with Florence is part of the institutional project Idols of Bronze, which aims to connect the Roman collections of the two cities through loans and shared thematic paths. The transfer of theIdolino to Brescia represents one of the central elements of the agreement, flanked by the Florentine exhibition dedicated to imperial images. The two initiatives aim to contribute to the study and promotion of the Roman bronze heritage, consolidating a system of relations between museum institutions active in the fields of archaeology and art history.
Alongside institutional partners, the project can count on relevant technical collaborations. Capoferri and iGuzzini, already involved in the rearrangement of the Winged Victory in 2021, intervene respectively in the engineering of the base and in the realization of the lighting design conceived for Vezzoli’s installation. The two companies worked on solutions compatible with the delicate architecture of the Capitolium, with the aim of ensuring a balance between conservation needs and visual rendering of the artistic project. They are joined by the technical sponsorship of Strategica Insurance Management Srl, broker of the Brescia Musei Foundation. The program of visits includes free admission for all holders of the Abbonamento Musei Lombardia, Piemonte and Valle d’Aosta, thanks to the inclusion of the Brescia Romana Archaeological Park in the circuit, and for citizens of Brescia, in continuity with the free admission introduced after the year of Brescia Capitale Italiana della Cultura. Accessibility is part of the cultural policies adopted by the city, which are geared toward encouraging the enjoyment of its archaeological and museum heritage.
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| Two Roman masterpieces in dialogue at Brescia's Capitolium |
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