Dive into the heart of Rome – the undying emblem of European civilisation – for a journey spanning millennia, right here in Tokyo. From the burgeoning Republic to its iconic empire and from the papal eras to its modern allure, Rome's fabled journey is artfully unfurled through an exquisite assembly of around 70 artefacts.
With a spotlight on the treasured Capitoline Museums – one of the world's longest-standing museums initiated by Pope Sixtus IV – this exhibition showcases masterpieces that encapsulate Rome's evolution as Europe's epicentre of politics, faith and culture.
To mark the 150th commemoration of the Iwakura Mission's pilgrimage to the Capitoline Museums – a pivotal moment that sculpted Japan's museum ethos – Tokyo Metropolitan Museum is presenting the Capitoline Museums’ first comprehensive exhibition in Japan.
You will navigate the epochs of Rome's history, beginning with emblematic tokens of Ancient Roman lore, such as a faithful reproduction of the 13th Century Lupa Capitolina. Journey onward with the marble visages of celebrated emperors like Hadrian and Constantine before marvelling at the detailed etchings of the Piazza del Campidoglio on the Capitoline Hill, designed by Michelangelo. The experience peaks with sublime oil paintings created during the height of the Holy Roman Empire.