The Bronzes of San Casciano at the Quirinale
For the first time since the discovery they are exhibited to the public in the exhibition "The Gods return"
Promo Bronzi di San Casciano (2023)Quirinale Palace
The extraordinary archaeological discovery at the Quirinale
Why at the Quirinale?
The path to bringing citizens closer to the institution, which began with the opening of the presidential offices, now continues by welcoming the findings of San Casciano to the Quirinale within the exhibition “The Gods Return”.
The testimony resurfaced
Over 200 bronze artifacts were brought to light and tell us a story of devotion, cults and rites, a significant testimony to the frequenting of this sacred place.
Between health and prayer
From the 3rd century BC to the 4th century AD the sanctuary welcomed bronze offerings and plant offerings from noble Etruscan and Roman families, who resorted to the hot water sources for their therapeutic benefits.
The value of healing
To find a cure for their ailments, those who frequented the sanctuary used to offer objects to the deities.
The ex voto therefore represent the deities, the devotees, the internal organs, ears, eyes, limbs, genitals: everything that the healing waters, through the intervention of the deities, were supposed to heal.
Among the votive offerings, the discovery of two polyvisceral bronze plaques is exceptional: the accurate anatomical depiction of the viscera has led us to suppose the presence of a medical school near the sanctuary.
Over time, the offering of coins replaced the bronze ex votos.
They constitute a significant testimony to the chronological events of the life of the sanctuary of San Casciano: the pieces found are more than 5,300 and cover a time span of five centuries.
The "lightning" event
The perfect conservation of the treasures of San Casciano was made possible by a prodigious event.
The ritual of the fulgur conditum involved the sacralisation of the place where lightning had struck.
Everything that was inside the sacred basin of the Etruscan age was buried and sealed inside; among these a bronze lightning bolt, testimony to the sacred event.
These exceptional votive offerings, entrusted to water and protected by mud, hidden from view for many centuries, have come back to light thanks to the wise and tenacious work of a team of archaeologists and are finally visible in the exhibition hosted in the Quirinale Palace.
The inauguration
The exhibition, promoted by the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Culture, was inaugurated at the Quirinale by President Mattarella on 22 June 2023.
Visit
The exhibition, already scheduled until 29 October 2023 and now extended to 22 December 2023, allows visitors to admire the extraordinary treasures from the sanctuary, accompanying them on a fascinating and evocative journey through the centuries.
Book your visit
Images courtesy of the Ministry of Culture.
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