Tomba François Paintings Enter Rome's National Etruscan Museum
The detached fresco cycle from the François Tomb at Vulci, acquired by the Italian Ministry of Culture for €15 million, has been installed at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome. The acquisition, finalized in May 2026 with the collaboration of the Torlonia, Sforza Cesarini, and Gaetani heirs, was hailed as a major state investment. The permanent installation, opening July 1, features an immersive room with videomapping and tactile tables, designed by Luca Cippelletti to simulate the tomb's entrance. The temporary exhibition 'Il ritorno degli eroi' runs until December 31, 2026, with loans from the Louvre, British Museum, and other institutions, including drawings by Nicola Ortis and a copy by Carlo Ruspi. The tomb, discovered May 1, 1857, by Alessandro François, dates to 340–320 BCE and includes 37 painted panels. The installation was supported by Fondazione Bvlgari.
Key facts
- The Italian Ministry of Culture acquired the François Tomb frescoes for €15 million in May 2026.
- The frescoes are now permanently installed at the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia in Rome.
- The immersive permanent installation opens July 1, 2026, designed by Luca Cippelletti.
- The temporary exhibition 'Il ritorno degli eroi' runs from July 1 to December 31, 2026.
- The tomb was discovered on May 1, 1857, by Alessandro François in the necropolis of Ponte Rotto at Vulci.
- The fresco cycle dates to 340–320 BCE and includes 37 panels with mythological and historical scenes.
- Loans for the exhibition come from the Louvre, British Museum, Royal Museum of Art and History of Brussels, and others.
- Fondazione Bvlgari supported the installation as part of its cultural patronage.
Entities
Artists
- Alessandro François
- Carlo Ruspi
- Nicola Ortis
- Adolphe Noel des Vergers
- Wilhelm Henzen
- Luca Cippelletti
- Luana Toniolo
- Massimo Osanna
- Alessandro Giuli
- Jean-Cristophe Babin
- Adolphe Noël des Vergers
- Achille
- Celio Vibenna
- Aulo Vibenna
- Macstarna
- Servio Tullio
- Patroclo
- Caravaggio
- Antonello da Messina
- Gustave Courbet
- Carlo Carra
- Pompeo Batoni
- Bernardo Strozzi
Institutions
- Ministero della Cultura
- Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia
- Direzione generale Musei
- Fondazione Bvlgari
- Bvlgari
- Musée du Louvre
- British Museum
- Royal Museum of Art and History of Brussels
- Musée cantonal d’archéologie et d’histoire de Lausanne
- Musei Vaticani
- Istituto Archeologico Germanico di Roma
- Museo Gregoriano Etrusco
- MAXXI
- Artribune
- Italian Ministry of Culture
- National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia
- Directorate General of Museums
- Torlonia family
- Sforza Cesarini family
- Gaetani family
- Louvre
- Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History of Lausanne
- Vatican Museums
- German Archaeological Institute of Rome
- Department for the Enhancement of Cultural Heritage
- Villa Giulia
- Université de Grenoble
- Le Journal des Arts
- Deutsche Bank
- Palais Populaire
- Centre archéologique de Montans
Locations
- Rome
- Italy
- Vulci
- Ponte Rotto
- Villa Giulia
- Paris
- France
- London
- United Kingdom
- Brussels
- Belgium
- Lausanne
- Switzerland
- Vatican City
- Etruria
- Florence
- Grenoble
- Berlin
- Germany
- Montans
- Tarn
- Herculaneum