SCULPTURE MUSEUMS (Pio – Clementino Museum and Chiaramonti Museum)

Rome center bed and breakfast The Center of Rome is 10 minutes far from the Sculpture Museums located inside the Vatican Museums.

The sculptures preserved in these museums, when they are not original Greek works, or by Roman artists or sculptors are Roman copies, more or less faithful, made in the 1st and 2nd centuries of original works by Greek artists, known or unknown, or their schools.
Sometimes, however, the Roman copyist drew on several models for the same work, or he freely took inspiration from the model adapting it to the needs of his task, such as, for example, in portraits of male or female heads that have been placed on bodies adapted.

We must also consider that in the modern age restorers have almost always intervened with their work, whether in marble or other stone, or in plaster, in ancient sculptures, to complete them, helping to weaken or deform the original characters. We must not forget that the Greek originals and many times also the Roman copies had a more or less extensive coloring that today has completely disappeared.

Greek cross room

At the entrance to the room we find the Bust of Pius VI (1775-1799), the pontiff to whom the Pio-Clementino Museum is owed.
Two granite Sphinxes, similar but of different origins (the first from St. Peter’s Basilica and the second from the Villa of Pope Julius III), both of Roman age.

Among the Sphinxes there is a colored mosaic representing a basket of flowers from the Appian Way of the II century.
On the left, a statue of a woman deriving from a Greek type of the fifth century BC with the head perhaps not relevant, probably a portrait of Cleopatra.

There is a large porphyry sarcophagus of Constantina, daughter of Constantine the Great, with Christian symbolic figures (harvest cherubs, peacocks, ram) drawn from the traditional pagan repertoire and large acanthus scrolls. Also on the left we find the statue of Augustus whose body reproduces the Greek type of Diomede of the fifth century BC, the statue of Lucio Vero young of 161 and, on the sides of the door leading to the Round Room, two Talamons of Egyptian style, but of Roman age (117-138) from Tivoli.

On the right there is the statue of Gaius Caesar, grandson of Augustus, a large porphyry sarcophagus of Sant ‘Elena, mother of Constantine the Great, with figures of Roman knights, captive barbarians and fallen.
In the center of the room we find the colored mosaic representing a shield with a bust of Minerva and the phases of the moon from the III century. On the wall behind the sarcophagus of Sant ‘Elena there are fragments of inscriptions including the one with the famous carmen: “Enos Laes iuvate”, copy of II.

Round Room

The floor is occupied by a large colored mosaic from Otricoli, with scenes of struggle between Greeks and Centaurs and figures of Tritons and Nereids from the 1st century AD. The remaining black and white mosaic is from the second century AD and comes from Scrofano. In the center is a colossal porphyry cup that has a circumference of 13 meters, perhaps coming from the Roman Forum.

From the right side on there are:

A bust of an empress, possibly Julia Domna from II-III after Christ.
A statue of the Genius of Augustus, between 30 BC and 14 after Christ.
The bust of Pertinax from the 3rd century AD.
The bust of Jupiter, from Otricoli, from a Greek original of the 4th century BC.
The statue of Antinous, Hadrian’s favorite who died in 130 AD is represented like Bacchus.
The bust of Faustina Maggiore, wife of Antonino Pio, who died in 141 AD.
The statue of a female divinity, perhaps Demeter, Ceres, dressed in peplos (the Doric dress consisting of a seamless wool rectangle open on the right side, from a Greek original of the 5th century BC.
The bust of Hadrian aged between 117 and 138 AD from his mausoleum in Castel Sant ‘Angelo.
The colossal statue of Hercules in gilded bronze, one of the tallest of antiquity, found among the remains of the Theater of Pompey. Roman work inspired by the Scopas style dated between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD showing very similar characteristics to the Hercules of the Foro Boario. Both sculptures, in fact, show the characteristic chiastic rhythm of Lysippos style, in which the weight of the entire sculpture rests on one foot. This figure differs from the Farnese Hercules because it is more corpulent, with musculature very evident.
The statue of Hera (Juno) called Era Barberini, a Roman replica of a Greek original of the 5th century BC, by the sculptor Alcamene.This sculpture shows a goddess wearing a crown and a peplos, a white dress that women used to wear before 500 before Christ, who squeezes her body and slightly bares her breasts. The figure holds a patera, a cup used for ritual sacrifices in his left hand, and a scepter in his right.
Herm of sea divinity, perhaps personification of the Gulf of Baia, a Roman work inspired by a Greek original of the Hellenistic age of the 2nd century BC, coming from Pozzuoli.
Statue of emperor, perhaps Galba, commonly believed to be Nerva from the 1st century AD.
The bust of Serapis, a replica of a Greek original from the 4th century BC.
The statue of Claudius under the aspect of Jupiter.
The statue is Giunone Sospita, goddess of Lanuvio, a Roman creation with Italic and Greek elements from the 2nd century AD.
The bust of Plotina, wife of Trajan, who died in 122 AD.

Hall of the Muses

In this room, which was opened to the public in 1784, we can admire a set of sculptures found in Tivoli in the villa of Cassio and which have undergone partial transformations by the restorers of the time. Among them we can include:

Herm of Pericles, which is a replica of the Cresilas original from the 5th century b. C.
The statues of seven Muses are leaning against the walls of the central part of the room, joined by the statue of Apollo Musagete depicted with a long robe and the lyre on which a small flayed Marsyas is depicted. The whole complex is inspired by an original group of an unidentifiable artist from the third century BC.
Melpomene the Muse of tragedy.
Talia, the Muse of comedy.
Clio, the Muse of history,
Polymnia, the Muse of mimicry.
Erato, the Muse of love poetry and mimicry.
Calliope, the Muse of the epic.
Terpsichore, the Muse of choral lyric and dance.

To complete the group of nine Muses, the statues Urania, Muse of astronomy and in general of didactic poetry and Euterpe, were adapted in the modern age. Muse of opera; the first derives from Greek art of the fourth century BC, the second from the art of the third century BC. A remarkable series of herms by poets, philosophers, the seven Elders and other characters, of which a part was found together with the group of the Muses, adorns this room. Among these herms, which are Roman replicas of Greek originals, note: Epicurus, who died between 271 and 270 BC from an original from the third century BC.
Demosthenes (384-322 BC), Homer, from an original of the 5th century BC, Socrates (469-399 BC), from an original of the 4th century BC, Plato (427-347 BC), from an original by Silanion of the 4th century BC,
Euripides (480-406 BC), from an original of the 4th century BC. In the center of the room, a colored mosaic with the head of Medusa and arabesques, by the Esquiline of the II-III century BC. On the left, at the top, towards the Sala degli Animali, we find the relief with a dance of armed men (piric dance), a neo-attic work inspired by an Attic relief from the 4th century BC. The Sala delle Muse of the Vatican Museums is just a few minutes walk from the Bed and Breakfast in the historic center of Rome called In The Center of Rome Bed and Breakfast.

Room of the Animals

The animal sculptures, which give the name to this room, divided into two rooms, are due to many artists including the sculptor of Carrara, Francesco Antonio Franzoni, who lived between 1734 and 1818 who sculpted them entirely or in large part. for Pope Pius VI (1775-1799). The sculptures, formed by colored marbles used for feathers and cloaks, have the purpose of creating a particular zoo where the animals seem to communicate with each other, with the heroes of the past, or with the gods.

At the back of the room, to the right of those who enter, we find the statue of Melagro, hero of Aetolia, who wears a cloak around one arm and is depicted victorious after a hunt. It is thought that he should have held a spear or a bow and on its two sides there is a dog and a killed boar. This work is considered a copy of the original of Skopas of the mid-fourth century BC. Doubt is the place where this sculpture was found, whether in Porta Portese, the Janiculum or the Esquiline.

On the left we find Triton kidnapping a Nereid and Cupids. This work is perhaps an original of late Hellenism from the second century BC. The Torso of the Minotaur most likely from a group together with Theseus which is a replica of a Greek original of the 5th century BC.

On the right we find the Colossal head of a camel, replica of a Hellenistic original from the 2nd century BC. Sow with twelve piglets. Roman work, perhaps from the Augustan age, in which, despite the smaller number of young, the mythical sow of Laurento can be recognized.

In the other part of the room, to the left of the entrance, there are: The Group of Mithras killing the bull, a Roman work from the second century after Christ. On the wall behind the Mitra we have two small mosaics with minute tesserae with animals, depicting a lion attacking a bull and a bucolic scene with goats, coming from Villa Adriana in Tivoli of the second century after Christ.

In the floor there are three mosaics, one in black and white tesserae with arabesques and animal figures in the central part, and two in color in the lateral parts, representing edible plants and animals of the second century after Christ. Then there is the sculpture of the Jaguar from a much later period, thought by the sculptor Francesco Antonio Franzoni and, therefore, from the seventeenth century, since this animal is typical of the American continent. It is made up of different pieces of alabaster in which the yellow and black spots cover the mantle and the yellow ones are more intense in the central part. This is why it is thought to be a jaguar instead of a leopard. The Sala degli Animali of the Vatican Museums is a 5-minute walk from the Bed and Breakfast rome center called At The Center of Rome Bed and Breakfast.

The Gallery of Statues

It houses numerous and among the most important works of the Pio Clementino Museum and was part of the Loggiato del Palazzetto of Innocent VIII and, therefore, of the fifteenth century. Later, in 1771-1772 this loggia was closed by windows and walls and the Sala dei Busti was created at the end of the Gallery. The walls of the Gallery of Statues were painted from urban and landscape scenes. Pinturicchio painted cupids there. The sculpture of Sleeping Ariadne derives from a Hellenistic original elaborated at the school of Pergamum in II BC and was bought by Pope Julius II in 1512 to be used as a fountain decoration in the Cortile del Belvedere.

For a long time, especially in the Renaissance period, it was believed to be Queen Cleopatra for the snake-shaped bracelet placed on her arm and, for this reason, the painter Cristoforo Unterperger was commissioned to paint the niche where it was placed. the sculpture with drawings reminiscent of Ancient Egypt, now covered by a red paint In the eighteenth century Ennio Quirino Visconti understood that this sculpture instead referred to Ariadne, the princess of Crete, daughter of Minos who had helped Theseus and then abandoned by him, in the Minotaur’s Labyrinth. She was later taken in marriage by Dionysius.
Under Arianna we find a sarcophagus with a representation of Gigantomachy. Work of the second century after Christ inspired by Hellenistic originals from the 2nd century BC. On the sides, two equal grandiose candelabra with rich ornamentation and representations of the main Greek-Roman deities of Minerva Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Juno and Mercury. It is a Roman style work neo-attic of the second century after Christ coming from Villa Adriana.

Along the room on the right we find the Statue of Hermes (Mercury). Replica of an original Greek of the Mironian school of the 5th century BC. The name “Ingenui” in the genitive, engraved on the plinth, seems to be the name of the Roman copyist. Loricate statue with head of Lucio Vero, one of the best portraits of this emperor (161-169 after Christ). The body dates back to the first century after Christ. Loricata statue from the 1st century AD with the head of Clodio Albino (193-197 AD) of which the portraits are very rare. Eros (Love) by Centocelle which is a replica of a Greek original in bronze from the 4th century BC, hardly attributable to the Praxitelean circle. In the left perhaps he was holding the bow, his right hand was empty or he was holding an arrow.

Upper part of Triton (Marine Centaur), is a replica of a Hellenistic Greek original from the 2nd century BC, in which the derivation from the art of Scopas, author of a thiasos (orgiastic procession) of the sea.
Paris, as judge of the beauty of the three goddesses, probably a replica of an original of Eufranore of the IV century BC praised by Pliny the Elder. Apollo Sauroctono which is a replica of a famous bronze original by Praxiteles from IV BC. Apollo as a young man tries to pierce a lizard that runs along the trunk of the tree on which he is leaning. The subject who seems irreverent, the delicacy of the form, the soft rhythm of the body, the necessary support are outstanding features of Praxitelean art.

Mattei Amazon and seated statue of Posidippo (name engraved on the plinth), comic poet Greek of the third century BC. On the other side of the room we have the seated statue of another comic poet, it is thought to be Menander. Both statues are replicas of Hellenistic originals, adapted to make pairs (note the typically Roman boots). Seated statue of the citharist Apollo which is a replica of a severe style Greek original of the fifth century BC. There are very few examples of this phase of Greek art in the Vatican Museums (another is the girl running from the Galleria dei Candelabra).

Statue of Opellius Macrino from 217-218 AD, joined the remaining statue of this emperor who, according to the story of Herodian, wanted to imitate Mark Aurelio in appearance. Resting Satyr statue by Praxiteles which is a replica of one of the most famous and copied statues of the great Athenian artist of the fourth century BC. Of the animalistic nature of the Satyr, only the pointed ears and, if you like, the woolly hair and the mischievous expression of the eyes and mouth remain in this figure. In the right he originally held a flute. Note the close correspondences stylistic with the Apollo Sauroctono. Funerary statue of a certain Liberata Fania representing Nicopolis as sleeping on a cline. Roman work of the second century after Christ.

Next to the entrance that leads to the Cabinet of Masks there is a funerary stele of a young athlete, accompanied by his little servant who hands him the jar for the ointment and the strigil, copy of the Greek original of the 5th century BC. The Gallery of the Statues of the Vatican Museums is a few minutes walk from the rome center bed and breakfast called The Center of Rome bed and breakfast.

Hall of Busts

In this room we can find Cato and Porcia and a portrait of a Roman couple from the 1st century BC which probably comes from a niche of a sepulchral monument. Note the naturalness and at the same time the austere simplicity that make this portrait a symbol of the sanctity of the marriage bond and in any case a great work of more clearly Roman art.

We find a porphyry bust of a young man, for which the name of the young Prince Philip was mentioned, killed in 249 after Christ at the age of 13 together with his father, also named Philip.
In front of the wall with the windows there is a column with around 3 Hours dancing which was found near the Ara Pacis (of which a slab is in the Octagonal Courtyard), and is to be attributed to the age of Augustus or slightly later for the testimony of the hairstyle of one of the figures.

Head of Caracalla (211-217 after Christ), represented by a child. Above you can see the small frescoed moons, the rest of the fifteenth-century decoration, some of which are also found in the Gallery of Statues and the one with the Umbrian school singers. Statue of a praying woman, from the Augustan age, found in the basilica of Otricoli. Given the strong restoration of the face, it is not possible to confirm the plausible hypothesis that in the statue it is have a portrait of Livia, wife of Augustus.

Then we have the head of a Diadoco (Alexander’s successor) with the royal bandage. An unidentifiable idealized portrait that is affected by the art of Scopas. There is the statue of Zeus (Jupiter) seated, called Jupiter Verospi, which is a replica of an original from the Hellenistic age, while the whole lower part is modern. In front of the statue of Jupiter we find a celestial globe with the zodiac and stars.

The base is richly decorated in the shape of a rectangular chest on four legs in the figure of winged lion protomes and with a high lid adorned with leaves and flowers. The four faces are decorated with reliefs, the meaning of which is not always clear, just as the nature of the object and its purpose are not. We know, however, that this art is Hellenic-Roman from the first century after Christ.

Continuing we find a portrait of a Diadoco with a crown of leaves closed above the forehead by a round buckle adorned with a gem that represents another portrait of the Hellenistic period of the III-II century BC.
The head of Augustus in mature age. The crown of ears is the insignia of the Arvali Brothers, a college of priests, of which the emperor was a member. We have the heads of Julius Caesar, of the young Octavian, of Nero under the aspect of Apollo, of Otho, of Titus, of Hadrian, of Antoninus Pius, of Commodus and of Caracalla. Finally, we find the busts of Trajan, Marcus Aurelius, Lucio Vero and Septimius Severus.

Discovery Lodge

From the small room of the Sala dei Busti you pass into the Loggia Discovery which runs on the north front of the Palazzetto di Innocenzo VIII up to the Cabinet of the Masks. Among the reliefs and busts placed here above all for ornamental purposes are: Relief fragment representing a young man belonging to the Bacchic procession with snakes and a shepherd’s staff in his hand, with a net on him equipped with bells attached to the knots of the third century after Christ. Frieze divided into two areas, with scenes of everyday life. In the upper area, note the sale of bread, with the baker’s counter; in the lower part the various works in the fields.

The figures are performed quickly, but the whole is full of vivacity. maybe it comes from some funerary monument of the third century after Christ. Funeral relief of Galatea, priestess of Isis, with her husband. The priestess is adorns all the insignia characteristic of her rank and assists her husband who is standing throwing incense on the flame of a second century censer after Christ.

Cabinet of Masks

A room in the square tower of the Palazzetto del Papa Innocenzo VIII was transformed a museum by the 17th century architect Alessandro Dori and later renovated by Michelangelo Simonetti. The name of this room derives from the mosaics of the flooring coming from Villa Adriana in Tivoli.

The various paintings and decorations were executed by Domenico de Angelis and Cristoforo Unterperger. The sculptures in the Cabinet of Masks are: Aphrodite (Venus) Cnidia. Replica of the famous statue of Praxiteles from the 4th century on Christ destined first to the inhabitants of Kos, then to those of Cnidus, from which it takes its name. The head is relevant even if not well placed and the limbs have been restored. The goddess justifies her nakedness of hers for the bath she is about to take; she has a towel with her and a vase for water beside her. The faded into the epidermis, the sweetness of the gaze and the slight gravitation of the body are particular characteristics of Praxitelean art.

In the room we find a group of the three Graces which is the replica of an eclectic-classicist original perhaps from the second century BC and an ancient red marble satyr which is a replica of a bronze original (in which the tree trunk of support), of Hellenistic art from the school of Aphrodisias of the second century BC. Aphrodite in the bathroom. Smaller size replica of the original by Doidalsas, sculptor
bitinium of the III-II century BC. The inscription on the base is modern. Four squares of colored mosaic with very small tiles are inserted in the floor: three of them represent theatrical masks that give the name to the Cabinet, the fourth represents a landscape with grazing beasts and a small shrine. The frame that encloses them is from the time of Pius VI, whose coat of arms it bears (wind blowing on lilies and stars).

Octagonal courtyard

In the past it was called the Courtyard of the Statues and constituted a valuable set of ancient classical sculptures that was created in the 16th century by Pope Julius II della Rovere.
This collection of statues was intended to recreate the atmospheres and settings of imperial Rome in the period of the Popes. Pius VI and Clement XIV in the eighteenth century created a real museum with an organic shape in the courtyard.

Lacoonte: original work of the first century BC (it is thought between 30-40 BC Christ) by the artists Agesandro, Atenoro and Polidoro di Rodi as described by Pliny the Old (Natural History). It was found in 1506 on the Esquiline in the so-called Seven Rooms. It is possible that the work was brought to Rome not long after its execution and that it was therefore seen by Virgil, who seems to have he drew inspiration for his well-known episode of Lacoonte in the second book of the Aeneid.

In this text it is said that the Trojan priest of the god Apollo had firmly opposed the entry of the horse inside the walls of the city of Troy and that for this he had fallen into the ire of Athena and Poseidon, in favor of the Greeks. The goddesses lashed out of him and his two sons, two ferocious snakes from the sea. This story is functional to the foundation of Rome because the death of Lacoonte’s two sons has like followed the flight of Aeneas.

A study showed that the arm fragment stored in the compartment opposite to the group of 3 characters it belongs to a copy of Lacoonte and it is most likely the original piece even if the restoration of this piece is wrong because it had to be tucked behind the head. Celebrated as the most beautiful sculpture of world, studied and imitated by Renaissance artists, the Lacoonte still appears today as one of the most significant creations of late Hellenism. The tangle of the human and feral bodies, the paroxysmal spasm of the father, the life that is now fleeing from cold body of the younger son (the other seems to be saved), are rendered with mastery difficult to overcome.

Beyond the Cabinet of the Laocoon, to the wall of the portico; Relief of the Ara Pacis Augustae. The monument to the Peace brought back by Augustus to the world, dedicated in 12 and inaugurated in 9 a. C. along the Via Flaminia (Via del Corso, under the Palazzo Fiano), consists of an altar and a marble enclosure with figured and ornamental reliefs. Our relief is part of the frieze with the procession of characters that is represented when taking part in the inauguration of the Ara itself. Stylistically (it should be noted that almost all the heads are restored), it is in this frieze of the Ara Pacis te that the first most important manifestation of the so-called “historical relief”, which can rightly be considered the pride, if not creation, of Roman art.

In a niche: Niobid. She is one of Niobe’s daughters who tries to escape the death that Apollo and Artemis sow among the born of their proud mother. The Niobid group, known from several replicas, is attributable to the beginnings of Hellenistic art. (4th-3rd century BC). For this statue of ours, which excels for its excellent execution, the hypothesis has also been made that it is the only original remnant of the grandiose group.
On the edge of the porch: Macaw of Augustus. On one face there is a Victory with a shield, in which an inscription is engraved that mentions Augustus as Pope Maximus. On the left side is a scene of sacrifice to the Lares (whose cult was renewed by Augustus); on the adjacent side they follow the apotheosis of Caesar (or of Aeneas), and on the remaining side the prodigy of Laurento’s sow (see Room of the Animals, 194). The monument can be dated to between 7 BC. C. is 14 d. C.

Apollo Cabinet

Apollo of Belvedere (plate VI). Found at the end of the 15th century, this is also one of the best known and always admired statues of the classical world * Replica of a Greek original in bronze of the century. 4 a. C. (the name of Lcochares has been mentioned as its author), was probably modified in part by the Roman copyist. The god has shot an arrow with his bow (to be reconstructed on the left) and observes, severely severe, the effect of the blow, with his right hand naturally slackened; the copyist instead wanted to attribute to this hand a laurel branch, of which remains remain on the supporting tree trunk, thus attenuating with this addition of the frond sacred to Apollo the punishing character typical of the original statue.

On the right shelf: Two original fragments of the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon (5th century BC). The bearded head belongs to the figure of the mythical king of the Acropolis of Athens, Erichthonius, and comes from a metope, the other head belongs to one of the three figures of young people carrying trays with buns (ska- phephoroi), and is part of the famous cell frieze. In the severe, yet serene nobility of the faces, it is the echo of the art of Phidias who directly and indirectly lavished his work in the Parthenon. Replica of the head of Athena (Minerva) by Mirone (see Lateran Profane Museum, VII, 379). Exceptional replica in basalt of the head of the so-called Idolino, bronze of the century. it goes. C. with policletei characters in the head (see ahead, in the Braccio Nuovo, the Amazon and the Doryphoros of Polideto, nos. 67 and 123). Both heads are extensively integrated with plaster. Beyond the Apollo Cabinet, on the porch wall (after the glass door): Front of a large sarcophagus with a rare representation of a port, which for some characteristic monuments has been identified with that of Ostia Sec. 3 d. C.

CABINET OF CANOVA

There are three statues of A. Canova, the Perseus and the two wrestlers Creugante and Damosseno, which the autóre sculpted to place precisely in the Octagonal Courtyard, when most of the classical works contained therein had taken the road to Paris (1800), following the treaty of Tolentino. Canoviana if not Canova’s is the head of Paris in the space in front of the Perseus, recently placed here.
Beyond the Cabinet of Canova, on the wall of the portico: Large sarcophagus with representation of the Amazon; in the middle is the group of Achilles and Penthesilea. Sec. In d. C.
In a niche: Group of Venus Happy and Love. The body is a replica of Praxiteles’ Aphrodite of Cnidus (see Cabinet of Masks, 474) while the head, which also belongs to him, is a portrait of a Roman lady of the century. the D. C. According to the inscription engraved in the plinth, the group is dedicated to Venus Felix by certain Sallustia and Elpido. It has been in the courtyard since the time of Julius II (around 1510).

CABINET OF THE ANTINOO

Statue of Hermes (Mercury), erroneously called of Antinous. Replica of a Praxitelean original (4th century BC) representing Hermes in his capacity as conductor of souls in Hades (psychopompos). The statue, found in * 500, reveals, among other things, the damage caused by excessive cleaning. On the left shelf: Head of Athena (Minerva). Greek original of the century. it goes. C., from aerolite, from a statue that is in which only the bare parts were made in stone, while the rest was in wood covered with metal leaf. A metal helmet (almost certainly of bronze), perhaps of an Attic shape, covered the head, and under it the hair also made of metal (bronze) fell in curls. Metallic earrings (gold?) Were hanging from the ears. Note the eyes expressed with a shiny gray stone (perhaps chalcedony), in which the iris and pupil were formed by another substance (perhaps colored molten glass) now fallen, and the eyelashes, obtained with thin serrated bronze plates; very rare testimony of this technique. The character of mature archaism that appears in this head and certain kinship with original works of Magna Graecia lead us to attribute this work, truly valuable for its rarity, to the sculptor Pythagoras of Reggio or to his school. Replica of the head of the Aristogiton, one of the two Tyrannicides, of the well-known group executed by the Attic artists of the 5th century. C. Critios and Nesiotes, to celebrate Harmodius and Aristogiton who freed Athens from the tyrants Hippias and Hipparchus (who died in 514 BC). The still archaic characters of the head are evident. The body to which this head belonged was recently discovered at the Capitol (the head has been in the Vatican for many years). Under the portico there are six pools, two larger ones in pink and gray granite, four smaller ones in pink granite, and in black and green, the latter coming from the Baths of Caracalla. Leaving the courtyard on the opposite side to the Sala degli Animali, you enter the

ROUND BOTTOM

Drawn trunk for which you see the Belvedere Torso. Funerary altar of T. Ottavio Diadumeno, of the century. 11 d. C., adorned with the relief figure of the Diadumenus of Polykleitos (famous work of the great Argive sculptor of the 5th century, known for various replicas), recalled on the altar by the name of the deceased, The policleteo athlete reproduced in small format is surrounded by head with a bandage (diadoumenos), received as a reward for his victory. To the left of the Rotunda vestibule, the

CABINET OF THE APOXYOMENOS

Replica of Lysippos’ Apoxyomenos, from the 13th century iv a. C. Of this work by the last of the great classical sculptors, known from the literary tradition (Pliny the Elder, Natural History, XXXIV, 19), there is no other replica except this one which appears to be very close to the original. (necessary addition of the copyist is the tree trunk to strengthen the right leg; the bronze original did not need it; limited modern restorations). It depicts an athlete who cleanses himself (apoxyomenos) with the curry comb after exercise. Note the slenderness of the nervous figure (small head, thin joints), its potential elasticity (which reacts to the previous Praxitelean art) and finally, with the arms extended, the fully achieved three-dimensionality of the statue. On the wall, on the left: Ara, known as the Vicomagistri, from the Julio-Claudian age (1st century AD), recently discovered. There is represented a sacrificial procession, with three bulls, victims, musicians, lictors, etc., followed by four assistants carrying the statuettes of the Lares and the Emperor’s Genius and four Vicomagisters, priestly officials for the cult of the task Lari (i.e. crossroads). On: Archaic Latin inscriptions from the Tomb of the Scipios (see below in the Atrium of the Torso), relating to various characters of the famous Roman family. To the right: Among other inscriptions, inscription of the Roman consul L. Mummio, the conqueror of Greece. It mentions his vow during the war, in 146 BC. C., to dedicate a temple and a simulacrum to Hercules Victorious. Going back, beyond the Round Vestibule, you enter the Atrium of the Torso.

ATRIUM OF THE TORSO

Said of Belvedere. Original work, signed, by Apollonius son of Nestor, Athenian, artist of the century. 1 a. C. (who has another of his signed works in Rome: the Puglist in rest, in bronze, of the Museum of the Baths). Found in the early Cinquecento, this famous fragment that was admired for its anatomy and studied by Renaissance artists (just remember Michelangelo and Raphael), it is the work of late Baroque Hellenism (compare the Laocoon). Uncertain the meaning of the statue, sitting on a ledge in the ground covered with a feral skin; re the hypothesis that it represents Marsyas playing the double flute competing with Apollo (della whose figure would have been preserved a part in the trunk pan neggiato n. 230 of the Round Vestibule). Ara, known as Casali, Roman work of the century. li-m d. C. Large scenes are represented on the four faces interest in their content which reconnects with the foundation tion of Rome. On the front, below, are Mars and Venus in the laces of Vulcan watching them from the top left while on the right is the Sun that betrayed the couple with its light divine; in the middle is a wreath with the dedicant’s name. TO right, above, is the judgment of Paris; below, fighting not determinable. Behind, above, Mars is seen opening press to Rea Silvia asleep; below, Rea Silvia with Twins in her arms, as if waiting for heavenly help, two pa histories, the Tiber; below, two servants of Amulius depon the Gemini, and Mars, the Tiber and the Palatine are watching. On the left, the fool pious of Hector’s corpse and funeral procession for death of the hero. Sarcophagus in peperino by Lucio Cornelio Scipione Bar bato (consul of 298 BC), with inscription in Saturn verses, containing the eulogy of the deceased, written after some time for the great fame achieved by the family, after he was abraded the shortest primal inscription. It comes from the Se polcro degli Scipioni on the Via Appia, found in 1780. Above, two inscriptions, coming from the same Sepulcher degli Scipioni, relating to the son of Scipione Barbato, Lucio Scipio, consul in 259 a. C. The Pio-Clementino Museum continues upstairs with the Hall of the Biga and the Gallery of the Candelabra.