Museo grotta di Tiberio, museum in Italy
Museo grotta di Tiberio is an archaeological museum beside a seaside cave in Sperlonga on Italy's coast, housing sculptures and artifacts from an ancient imperial villa. The statues were originally positioned around a large circular pool set within the cave itself, offering insight into Roman artistic tastes from Emperor Tiberius' era.
The villa was renovated during Emperor Tiberius' reign about 2,000 years ago and filled with extensive art collections. Thousands of marble fragments were discovered during coastal road construction in the 1950s, resulting in one of antiquity's major sculpture finds, prompting the museum's opening in 1963.
The sculptures depict scenes from Greek myths, particularly the adventures of Odysseus, reflecting the Roman fascination with Greek storytelling. These artworks once decorated the imperial residence and demonstrate how the ancient elite integrated art and mythology into their daily leisure spaces.
The museum opens early each day until early evening, with extended hours from April through September, and offers affordable entry with tickets available online or at the gate. Wear comfortable shoes as the grounds have paved areas and paths to walk, and nearby parking is mainly paid during summer months.
One of the most striking sculptures, known as Pasquino, depicts Odysseus dragging Achilles' body, a scene long misidentified until experts recently reinterpreted it. This reidentification demonstrates how much about ancient artworks continues to be rediscovered and reunderstood by scholars.
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