Augustus marble bust returns to Centuripe, Sicily after 90 years
On August 28, 2021, Centuripe will welcome back the marble bust of Emperor Augustus, regarded as the most exceptional Augustan portrait in Sicily, after almost a century at the Museo Paolo Orsi in Syracuse. This return is facilitated by a five-year loan agreement between the Assessorato per i Beni Culturali e l'Identità Siciliana and two archaeological parks. The Museo Archeologico Regionale di Centuripe will showcase the "centuripina" collection, which features portraits of Germanicus and Drusus Minor. The bust, discovered on April 30, 1938, during roadworks, is inspired by the Augustus of Prima Porta. Director Carlo Staffile highlighted that this marks the first complete collection loan. The events will include the exhibition "Segni" and a performance by the Coro Lirico Siciliano.
Key facts
- The marble bust of Augustus returns to Centuripe on August 28, 2021.
- The bust was discovered on April 30, 1938, during road construction.
- The collection includes portraits of Germanicus and Drusus Minor.
- The loan is for five years at the Museo Archeologico Regionale di Centuripe.
- The bust is considered the finest Augustan portrait in Sicily by Nicola Bonacasa.
- The loan involves multiple Sicilian cultural institutions.
- The exhibition 'Segni' curated by Simona Bartolena opened July 3.
- A concert by Coro Lirico Siciliano is planned at the Anfiteatro della Dogana.
Entities
Artists
- Augustus
- Germanicus
- Drusus Minor
- Nicola Bonacasa
- Simona Bartolena
- Alberto Samonà
- Carlo Staffile
- Paolo Orsi
Institutions
- Assessorato per i Beni Culturali e l'Identità Siciliana
- Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico di Catania e della Valle dell'Aci
- Parco Archeologico e Paesaggistico di Siracusa
- Museo Paolo Orsi
- Museo Archeologico Regionale di Centuripe
- Musei Vaticani
- Antiquarium Comunale
- Coro Lirico Siciliano
- Artribune
Locations
- Centuripe
- Sicily
- Enna
- Syracuse
- Catania
- Prima Porta
- Rome
- Italy