San Casciano bronzes go on display at MANN.

A trove of ancient bronze statues unearthed at the San Casciano thermal bath site in Tuscany in late 2022 can be admired in Naples from 16 February until 30 June.

Titled Gli Dei Ritornano (The Gods Return), the exhibition takes place at the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN) following a successful showing at the Quirinale in Rome.

Describing it as an “exceptional” opportunity to visit the treasures in Naples, Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano stated: “The artefacts found in San Casciano, in the opinion of many experts, are among the most important Italian archaeological discoveries and allow us to reconnect with our most ancient roots.”

In attesa della grande mostra, che aprirà al pubblico venerdì 16 febbraio alle 17, testimonianze dallo scavo di San Casciano dei Bagni. Le opere ritrovate nel 2022 saranno in esposizione al #MANN. @MiC_Italia @musei
: Alessandro Vierucci. pic.twitter.com/v6KNYfiRQU— Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (@MANNapoli) February 12, 2024

The votive statues, dating from between the second century BC and the first century AD, emerged intact from the mud at the bottom of a Roman pool in the Tuscan hilltop town in November 2022, before undergoing a delicate restoration process.

The sensational discovery of the statues – representating divinities including Apollo and Hygieia, as well as emperors, matrons and ephebes – shed new light on the relationship between the Etruscans and the Romans.

Archaeologist Jacopo Tabolli, who led the excavation project and is the curator of the exhibition, said the San Casciano discovery would “rewrite history” about the transition from the Etruscan civilisation to the Roman Empire.

For full visiting details and information about the exhibition, which will be inaugurated on the evening of Friday 16 February, see the MANN website.

Photo credit: Emanuele Antonio Minerva e Agnese Sbaffi © Ministero della Cultura.