Uffizi Honors F1 Grand Prix with Ancient Charioteer Epigraph

The Uffizi Galleries in Florence are celebrating the arrival of the Formula 1 Grand Prix at Mugello circuit on September 12, 2020, with two initiatives centered on a 2nd-century Roman epigraph honoring the charioteer Avilius Teres. The artifact, which once belonged to a monumental inscription found near Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome, entered the Medici collections in the late 17th century and was later placed in the Ricetto delle Iscrizioni. It will be displayed in a place of honor on the second floor of the Uffizi, between the rooms of Leonardo and those of Raphael and Michelangelo. A video detailing its history and content will be published on Facebook on the same Saturday, September 12, in Latin with Italian subtitles. Avilius Teres was one of the most famous charioteers of antiquity, achieving 1,011 victories in a single year and innovating chariot racing techniques. The epigraph lists the names of his horses, their origins, and their victories. Uffizi director Eike Schmidt noted that the passion for speed is part of human nature and that sports competition is an ancient social phenomenon, with manifestations identical to those seen today in stadiums and racing circuits. He quoted Statius' Thebaid to describe the roar of the crowd. The Uffizi thus symbolically participate in the Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello, where the Medici dynasty originated.