L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JANUARY 27, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano I n the early 1980s, the Los Angeles Times r a n a n a r t i c l e o n what was purported- ly an unknown col- lection of 620 marbles dat- ing back to the Roman era. The truth was that the col- lection was known, but not by the public at large. Nine- ty-two sculptures from this incomparable collection are now on display until April in the recently restored Villa C a f f a r e l l i in Rome. The Torlonia Marbles are no doubt the most important private collection of sculp- tures not only in Italy but in all of Europe. The collection has had an interesting histo- ry. Making sure that none of the marbles would be spirit- ed out of the country, the Italian state has since the late 1940s kept a close eye o n t h e m . S h o r t l y a f t e r World War II, disguised as a janitor, an official surrepti- tiously entered the Torlonia M u s e u m w h e r e h e c a t a - logued the entire collection. T h e r e a f t e r , i f a n y o f t h e sculptures turned up in a foreign collection, the cul- prits would be brought to the bar of justice. B e g i n n i n g i n t h e n i n e - teenth century, the collec- t i o n w a s c r e a t e d b y P r i n c i p e A l e s s a n d r o Torlonia. He founded the Torlonia Museum in 1875 in a structure built in the mid- nineteenth century by his father, Giovanni Torlonia ( 1 7 5 4 - 1 8 2 9 ) . M u s s o l i n i m a d e t h e n e a r b y V i l l a Torlonia his state residence u n t i l h i s f a l l i n 1 9 4 3 . Giovanni became wealthy as a banker, including working for the Vatican bank. His s o n , A l e s s a n d r o ( 1 8 0 0 - 1886), inherited the family's banking fortune and had a dubious title bestowed upon the family by the Vatican. With a vast fortune fund- ing his passion, Alessandro became an avid collector. He took possession of marbles discovered in excavations in and around Rome and pur- c h a s e d e n t i r e c o l l e c t i o n s from other famous collec- tors. His collection appeared in at least one publication in the nineteenth century, so it was no secret to historians at the time. In addition, to increase his cultural patron- age and name in Rome, he had annual soirées to show o f f h i s v a s t c o l l e c t i o n o f marbles. However, he invit- ed only those who were list- ed on the aristocratic social r egister . Upon his death, Alessandro's descendants inherited the villa, the muse- um, and its marbles. However, since the 1950s this magnificent collection languished in a kind of legal limbo, still privately owned by the Torlonia family but overseen, if not guarded, by the Italian state. When news of it reached the public at large, art historians and oth- ers decried the condition of the sculptures in the muse- u m . T h e y h a d a l l b e e n crowded together into a few r o o m s a n d w e r e w i t h o u t proper environmental con- trols. The works were cov- e r e d w i t h d u s t a n d w e r e degrading. Having a com- plete catalogue of the collec- tion, the state stepped in to take control. With both a shout of joy and a sigh of relief, I read l a s t y e a r j u s t b e f o r e o u r departure for Rome that a part of this invaluable col- lection would be on display. After arriving and a day or two of rest, Carole, my wife, a n d I w e r e o f f t o V i l l a Caffarelli for what was for us a long-awaited viewing of this remarkable collection. We were not disappointed. T h e s h o w i s a r r a n g e d more or less chronologically in separate rooms. But there are also rooms dedicated to Torlonia's own archeological discoveries and to marbles that he bought from other m a j o r c o l l e c t i o n s , l i k e V i n c e n z o G i u s t i n i a n i ' s , from the eighteenth century, and that of Villa Albani from the nineteenth. The current exhibit takes the visitor from the realism of Roman portraits to the i m a g i n a t i v e i m a g e s o f Roman divinities. There are captivating marbles of god- desses, from Aphrodite and Eros to the leering faces of lascivious satyrs. There are also beautifully sculpted and idealized images of athletes and heroic images of war- riors, as well as vainglorious representations of corona- tions. Equally important, the show contains depictions of everyday Roman life, includ- ing family and children. Upon entering the first room of the show, the visitor encounters the collection's only bronze, the full-stand- ing Statue of Germanicus, perhaps the rarest piece in the collection. Behind the bronze is a cornucopia of 2 0 0 0 - y e a r - o l d b r i g h t l y restored marble busts that leave the viewer breathless. A l l c o n t a i n a l e g i t i m a t e provenance that spans from a p p r o x i m a t e l y 1 0 0 B C t o approximately 300 AD. The three shelves display over a d o z e n o r m o r e b u s t s o f f a m o u s R o m a n m e n a n d women: emperors, wives, and family members, each a masterpiece on its own. We were staring in the face of ancient Roman power in the brow-wrinkled portrait of the murderous Caracalla, who stared threateningly back. His absolute power over Roman life is made pal- pable in his chilling glare. There are other important e m p e r o r s , f r o m M a r c u s Aurelius to regal portraits of T r a j a n , A u g u s t u s , a n d Torlonia Marbles: Italy's most renowned collection of marbles KENNETH SCAMBRAY A portrait of Giulia Domna, 3rd century AD (Fondazione Torlonia/Electa/Bulgari. Ph. Oliver Astrologo) Continued to page 28 LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS

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