Discover the Money Museum's contribution to the 'Rome in coin. Art and power in the history of the Eternal City' exhibition, a multi-venue exhibition, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture's Department for the Enhancement of Cultural Heritage and hosted in collaboration with the National Roman Museum, the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum and VIVE - Vittoriano and Palazzo Venezia.
The exhibition traces over two thousand years of the Italian capital's history through the language of its coinage.
Browse through the images and admire the 1923 gold 100 lire coin on loan from Banca d'Italia, an example of how numismatics, history and art are interwoven, in the fascinating journey at the Vittoriano. Also on display is Afro Libio Basaldella's masterpiece 'Still life with coffee pot’, from Banca d'Italia's art collection.
This collaboration by some of the city's most prestigious institutions shows how Rome's history - from the Republican period to the contemporary era - can be recounted through its coinage.
To learn more about the exhibition, visit the dedicated webpage.
Rome in coin. Art and power in the history of the Eternal City
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Entrance to Zanardelli Hall in the Vittoriano. The Modern Era -
The Baths of Diocletian complex (National Roman Museum). The Classical Age -
Display of the gold 100 lire coin minted in 1923, on loan from MUDEM. Zanardelli Hall, Vittoriano -
‘Fascist Anniversary’ gold 100 lire coin to commemorate the first Anniversary of the March on Rome,1923, Rome Mint (MUDEM, Banca d’Italia). Profile of Victor Emmanuel III (obverse). Exhibited in Zanardelli Hall, Vittoriano -
Quadruple, Pope Alexander VII, 1655, Rome Mint, (Coins and Medals Collection, National Roman Museum). Treasure chest with raised lid and sacks of coins (reverse) -
Medal of Pope Clement VII in gilded silver, made by Benvenuto Cellini, 1534 (Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence) -
Works displayed in the Zanardelli Hall, in the modern era section -
Projection and enlargement of the ‘Fascist Anniversary’ gold 100 lire coin (reverse). Next to it, Giacomo Balla’s Pessimism and Optimism, also from 1923 (National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Rome) -
Eating money - an auction, a provocative work by Cesare Pietroiusti in which the artist sold the performance of eating two banknotes that were subsequently recovered after digestion (accompanied by a certificate of authenticity) -
Della Rovere Missal by Jacopo Ravaldi, 15th century (State Archives, Turin) -
Still life with coffee pot by Afro Libio Basaldella, 1946 (Banca d'Italia's art collection) -
The section of the exhibition dedicated to the modern era ends at the Vittoriano with a provocative work by Maurizio Cattelan, Untitled -
Maurizio Nannucci's neon work, All art has been contemporary (1999) reminds us that all art has been avant-garde in its own time -
'Fascist Anniversary' gold 100 lire coin to commemorate the first Anniversary of the March on Rome,1923, Rome Mint (MUDEM, Banca d'Italia). Profile of Victor Emmanuel III (obverse) -
'Fascist Anniversary' gold 100 lire coin to commemorate the first Anniversary of the March on Rome,1923, Rome Mint (MUDEM, Banca d'Italia). Fasces (reverse) -
Silver Romano-Campanian didrachm, circa 269 BCE. Head of young Hercules (obverse). (Coins and Medals Collection, National Roman Museum) -
Silver Romano-Campanian didrachm, circa 269 BCE. She-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus (reverse). (Coins and Medals Collection, National Roman Museum) -
Sestertius featuring Emperor Titus, copper alloy, 80-81 CE. Representation of the Colosseum (reverse). (Coins and Medals Collection, National Roman Museum). The coin was issued to celebrate the construction of the Flavian amphitheatre (Colosseum) -
Sestertius featuring Emperor Titus, copper alloy, 80-81 CE. Titus seated on a curule chair holding a branch and a rotolus, surrounded by arms (obverse - Coins and Medals Collection, National Roman Museum)
