Rare find of 24 ancient bronzes in Tuscany goes on display in Rome

A restorer works on one of the bronzes – a statue of Apollo in the pose of an archer. Photograph: Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters

A trove of bronze statues buried by mud and boiling water for thousands of years before being found in the ruins of a network of ancient thermal springs in a small town in Tuscany are going on display in Rome.

The 24 bronzes, mostly dedicated to the gods, are the largest discovery of their kind in Italy and were unearthed last year in the ancient springs of San Casciano dei Bagni, in what used to be a place of worship for both the Etruscans and Romans.

The statues, which experts believe were commissioned by wealthy families living in the area, include a sleeping Hygeia, the goddess of health, with a snake wrapped around her arm, and one dedicated to Apollo, the god of sun and light.

They once adorned the rim of the oval-shaped baths before being immersed into the water in a spiritual ceremony believed to have occurred in the first century AD.

Entitled Gli Dei Ritornano (The Gods Return), the exhibition at Palazzo Quirinale runs from 23 June until 25 July, before resuming on 2 September until 29 October 2023.

The relics will eventually be displayed in a museum being developed in San Casciano dei Bagni, a hilltop town close to Siena.

Discoveries at the ancient springs, believed to have been built by the Etruscans in the second century BC, have included 6,000 coins, along with an array of votives. These include small figurines depicting the palm of a hand holding money, a penis, a pair of breasts and a child wrapped in swaddling clothes that would have been offered up to the gods and holy water in the hope of bringing conception or general good luck.

One of the statues emerges from the mud during excavations at San Casciano dei Bagni, Tuscany, Italy, in November. Photograph: Jacopo Tabolli/Universita per Stranieri di Siena/EPA

The sanctuary was made more opulent during the Roman period, when it was frequented by emperors including Augustus, and remained active until the 5th century AD before being closed down, but not destroyed, during Christian times. The pools were sealed with heavy stone pillars while the divine statues were left in the water, which was rich in minerals, including calcium and magnesium. The water was considered good for the liver, for treating facial pain and for helping with fertility.