The frescoes of the François Tomb of Vulci, recently acquired by the State, will be permanently exhibited at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia through a prestigious exhibition.
Dating to between 340 and 320 BC and carved into the tufa rock, the tomb preserved a complex decorative program consisting of a series of painted panels that were detached in 1863 and are finally on public display.
The François Tomb holds a central place in the history of ancient art due to the quality of its paintings and the complexity of their meaning. The figurative cycle intertwines Greek myth, Etruscan historical memory, and aristocratic self-representation, offering an exceptional testament to the political and cultural imagery of Hellenistic Etruria. It combines themes drawn from Greek mythology (particularly from the Trojan and Theban cycles) with themes of local heroic history, within a fundamentally anti-Roman context. The scenes are juxtaposed with analogical intent to express the concepts of vengeance and redemption. The frescoes seem to refer primarily to the wars between the Etruscans and the Romans—depicting the latter in a negative light—but also to the struggles between various Etruscan cities.
The exhibition allows for an ideal reconstruction of the monument's original context. Thanks to the collaboration of major international institutions, including the Musée du Louvre, the British Museum, the Vatican Museums, and the German Archaeological Institute in Rome, artifacts, documents, historical copies, and materials related to the history of the tomb (including ceramics and precious ancient jewelry) have been brought together.
Where
Piazzale Villa Giulia, 9, Roma (RM)
