Victoria Mater. L’idolo e l’icona. Installation by Francesco Vezzoli

The installation presents a dialectical encounter between two bronzes of extraordinary beauty and elegance — and perhaps even more, of profound meaning and substance — which engage in dialogue against the backdrop created by one of the most renowned and acclaimed Italian artists on the international scene.

In continuity with the enhancement and redevelopment projects of the archaeological area carried out in recent years, and in line with a cultural strategy grounded in constant and active cross-fertilisation between ancient and contemporary, Fondazione Brescia Musei has entrusted Francesco Vezzoli with the creation of an unprecedented installation, curated by Donatien Grau. The work stages a dialogue between the Winged Victory, one of the most important masterpieces of Roman antiquity in terms of composition, material, and state of preservation, and the Idolino of Pesaro, a refined example of classical craftsmanship from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence.

The event has been specifically conceived to accompany the opening of the celebrations for the Bicentenary of the discovery of the bronze deposit of the Capitoline Temple of Brescia, where the Winged Victory was preserved, and in anticipation of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The initiative is funded by Regione Lombardia within the framework of the ‘Olimpiadi della Cultura’ call and is part of the ‘Giochi della Cultura’ programme, promoted by Regione Lombardia in collaboration with Triennale Milano.

The Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad is a multidisciplinary, plural, and widespread programme that will enliven Italy by promoting Olympic values and fostering dialogue between art, culture, and sport, in view of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The exhibition forms part of an institutional framework of virtuous collaboration between Fondazione Brescia Musei and the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, under the auspices of the Directorate-General for Museums of the Ministry of Culture, within the broader project titled Idoli di bronzo (Idols in Bronze). It reaffirms the role of Fondazione Brescia Musei as a catalyst for synergies aimed at building a consolidated network of collaborations among the country’s most prestigious cultural institutions.

This partnership translates, beyond the loan of the Idolino, into an exhibition scheduled at the National Archaeological Museum of Florence from 11 December 2025 to 14 June 2026, titled Icons of Power and Beauty, which will feature three bronze heads from the Capitolium repository in Brescia. Curated by the museum’s director, Daniele Federico Maras, and curator Barbara Arbeid, the exhibition has been conceived to present and interpret the historical development of the use of images for the presentation, preservation, and transmission of power within the Roman Empire during a phase of crisis and potential uncertainty, such as that experienced in the third century AD.

The installation is visible upon purchase of the Biglietto Musei  or in the purchase of the Biglietto Integrato Musei.

Staying in Brescia is worthwhile!

For guests of HB Hotels (Hotel Vittoria, Hotel Regal, Hotel Leonessa, Hotel Master, Hotel Igea), Federalberghi (Hotel Al Poggio Verde, Hotel Ambasciatori) and Areadocks Boutique Hotel the entrance ticket is at a reduced rate upon presentation of the valid voucher issued by the hotel at the cash desk.

Winter opening hours (1 October – 31 May):

• Monday (except public holidays): Closed
• Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 10:00 – 18:00
• Last admission: 17:15