Majestic, larger than life-sized statues of foreign peoples, made from precious colored marbles imported from the provinces of the empire, play a prominent role in public architecture from the Augustan era on.

The model of this new decorative scheme was first seen in Rome, in the series of statues of the Basilica Aemilia, and quickly spread to various cities around the Mediterranean, including the exceptional case of the theatre of Terracina, not far from the Eternal City.

Aside from their purely aesthetic value and their significance as a basic display of luxuria, these sculptures were meant to transmit important symbolic messages closely linked to imperial propaganda which scholars are still working to fully unpack.

The study day will present new information gathered from the re-examination of the existing material and from the study of previously unseen recent acquisitions. The organizers hope to offer new points of reflection on a type of statuary that garners great admiration.

In honor of the occasion, a selection of the marble barbarians’ heads from the Basilica Aemilia will be presented to the public, following the conclusion of a restoration project which aimed to preserve signs of the monument’s history. The exhibition will be open to the public from 7 June to 17 June during normal Parco hours of operation.

The study day will be held in the Curia Iulia in the Roman Forum. This event is free subject to availability (seating max. 100) and reservation at pa-colosseo.convegni@beniculturali.it. Entry via Largo della Salara Vecchia upon exhibition of invitation and reservation.

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6 giugno 2019 Giornata di studi

Programma Giornata di studio 6 giugno 2019