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Etruschi del Novecento (20th Century Etruscans)

April 2-August 3, 2025

On April 2, Fondazione Luigi Rovati inaugurated the exhibition Etruschi del Novecento. This major exhibition project, curated by Lucia Mannini, Anna Mazzanti, Giulio Paolucci, and Alessandra Tiddia, is organized in collaboration with the Mart of Rovereto.

In line with the identity of the Foundation, the exhibition continues the journey started by the Mart in a new, distinct, and complementary stage. It presents a selection of iconic works highlighting the influence of Etruscan culture on 20th-century Italian artists.

In the exhibition, visual art interacts with applied and graphic arts: from painting to goldsmithing, passing through statuary and documenting the return of forms, techniques and materials such as painted terracotta, metals, mural and vase painting, and bucchero (the traditional black ceramic used by the Etruscans to make vases). Comparisons between ancient and modern are explored in detail through photographic reproductions, publications, and a valuable selection of extraordinary archaeological pieces.

An Evocative Exhibition Journey

In Etruschi del Novecento, archaeological artifacts and great masterpieces of modern and contemporary art are exhibited alongside documents, books, and magazines, testifying to the interest of artists influenced by the "anticlassical" aesthetics of Etruscan art. Developed across both exhibition floors of the Art Museum, the exhibition integrates into the permanent route of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati.

On the Hypogeum Floor, visitors are welcomed by Leone Urlante (1957): a "chimera of the 20th century," a hybrid figure, a fantastic creature embodying the link between Etruscan art and the experiments of Mirko Basaldella.

In the Inspirations section, Etruscan askoi (vessels for oily liquids) come to life in Gio Ponti’s 1920s porcelain and gold vases. The ceramic cista La passeggiata archeologica by Gio Ponti and Libero Andreotti—created in the late 1920s and on loan from the Poldi Pezzoli Museum (Milan)—echoes an Etruscan cista, a bronze container for storing jewelry and cosmetics, from the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia (Rome).

The theme of reclining figures, the Modern Recumbents, is evoked by the work of Leoncillo Leonardi, a powerful and dramatic interpretation of the famous Sarcophagus of the Spouses from Villa Giulia, displayed alongside the precious Lid of a Cinerary Urn, on loan from the Cerveteri and Tarquinia Archaeological Park.

The Warhol Room on the Noble Floor serves as the documentation center, tracing the Fortuna degli Etruschi through rare art volumes, magazines, graphic works, and posters dedicated to Etruscan culture, published from the late 19th century to the 1980s.

In the White Space, for the first time, Paolo Gioli’s complete Etruschi series (1984) and Alighiero Boetti’s Copertine(1985), a previously unseen work from the Fondazione Luigi Rovati’s collection, are displayed. Paolo Gioli recreates the identity of Etruscan faces depicted on cinerary urns through his polaroids, giving new vitality to colorless marble faces with chromatic touches and pulsating fragments.

Alighiero Boetti, through the Copertine series, meticulously redesigns the covers of major international magazines, creating a map of the year's historical events, beginning with Epoca, dedicated to the Progetto Etruschi.

A Diffused Exhibition

The exhibition extends through two important collaborations, expanding its presence in the city: at Villa Necchi Campiglio and the Museo del Novecento. For conservation reasons, L’amante morta by Arturo Martini (1921-22) and Popolo by Marino Marini (1929)—both part of the exhibition—are displayed at these respective museum venues.

Events

Starting Wednesday, April 2, a program of events will accompany Etruschi del Novecento.

Wednesday, April 2, 6:00 PM
Conversation: "The Reasons for an Exhibition"
Curators Lucia Mannini, Anna Mazzanti, Giulio Paolucci, and Alessandra Tiddia present the exhibition project, engaging in a critical and interpretative discussion on the influence of Etruscan civilization on 20th-century visual culture.

Saturday, June 14, and Sunday, June 15
CINETRUSCO: The First Film Festival at the Art Museum
A weekend dedicated to auteur cinema. In the conference room, a screening cycle explores the Etruscan world in film: the eerie darkness of tombs, rocky landscapes, the imagery of dances and banquets, halls filled with old museum artifacts, and the adventure of tomb raiders.

The program is designed and curated by Maurizio Harari, archaeologist, professor of Etruscology and Italic civilizations, and passionate cinephile.

Educational and Training Activities

Etruschi del Novecento is enriched by an extensive educational program, integrated into the usual training and in-depth activities of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati. Workshops, group visits, and school tours offer a detailed exploration of the exhibition’s themes, with a particular focus on the influence of Etruscan civilization on 20th-century visual culture, through a critical and interpretative lens.

For more information on the Foundation’s educational programs dedicated to Etruschi del Novecento:

Education

Museo Gentile - Gentle Museum

The exhibition’s accessible guide is available at the ticket office or downloadable from the Foundation’s website. Written in Easy to Read format, a simplified language regulated by the European Union, it is suitable for both children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The guides are part of the Museum for All project by L’abilità Onlus.

The exhibition’s LIS video guide, created in collaboration with the National Deaf Institute, is available in the Foundation’s app, downloadable at the museum.

As part of the Being Well Together project, in collaboration with Cooperativa La Meridiana, a specially designed guide for individuals with neurodegenerative conditions and their companions is available at the ticket office.

For more information on the Foundation’s inclusion programs dedicated to Etruschi del Novecento:

Museo Gentile

Catalog

The catalog Etruschi del Novecento, published by Fondazione Luigi Rovati, includes essays by the curators and in-depth contributions from Matteo Ballarin, Fabio Belloni, Martina Corgnati, Alessandro Del Puppo, Maurizio Harari, Claudio Giorgione, Mauro Pratesi, and Nico Stringa.

The exhibition catalog is available for preview at the Fondazione Luigi Rovati shop and online.

Special Offers

Holders of the FLR Card and Amici del Mart members enjoy free entry during the exhibition period and discounted admission for the rest of the year. Additionally, visitors with a ticket from either museum can access the other at a reduced price during the exhibition period.