Museo Archeologico: Sala delle statue di VeleiaPalazzo della Pilotta
The twelve statues in Luni marble, today’s Carrara marble, were discovered in Veleia in 1761.
Originally they were placed along one wall of the Basilica, on a podium accompanied by marble inscriptions indicating the personage; the museum conserves 5 of these inscriptions.
Statua di Calpurnio Pisone (1/100)Palazzo della Pilotta
The statues are larger than life size and represent various members of the Imperial Giulio-Claudio family whose cult, and the propaganda associated with it, also spread to northern Italy in the first century BCE.
The patron of Veleia, Lucio Calpurnio Pisone, who was also Julius Caesar’s brother-in-law, contributed to ensuring good relations between the small settlement and the Court.
Statua di imperatore (Augusto?) (0 - 100 d.C.)Palazzo della Pilotta
The stylistic characteristics would indicate that the statues were created at different times. Belonging to the oldest group are the now headless statues of Augustus, his wife Livia and Tiberius;
then those of Drusus Major and Drusus Minor, respectively brother and son of the Emperor, as well as that of Lucio Calpurnio Pisane, the Pontefex, and probable promoter of the initiative.
Statua di Caligola (0 - 100 d.C.)Palazzo della Pilotta
A second group, realised during the reign of Caligula, consists of the statue of Caligula himself, whose head was later removed and substituted with the head of Claudius, his sister Drusilla and his mother Agrippina the elder.
Particolare della statua di Caligola con ritratto dell’imperatore Claudio (0 - 100 d.C.)Palazzo della Pilotta
The third group can be dated to the age of Claudius and consists of the head of Claudius on the body of Caligula,
Particolare della statua di Agrippina Minore (0 - 100 d.C.)Palazzo della Pilotta
a statue of Agrippina Minor, last wife of Claudius, and her young child, Nero.
Statua Ioricato (0 - 100 d.C.)Palazzo della Pilotta
The statue with a breastplate also represents a modified personage; originally thought to represent Germanicus, the new head is held to be that of the Emperor Nerva.
