The Tiber’s Rediscovered Bronzes

Arising from the depths of Rome’s river history, the bronzes of the ancient Bridge of Valentinian return to view. The exhibition unveils three remarkable sculptures recovered in 1878 during the construction of the Tiber embankments: a diademed male head, a gilded bronze toga-clad figure and the right wing of a Victory. Originally designed to be seen from the water - gleaming markers for those navigating the river - they reappear after meticulous restoration that restores their detail and symbolic power.
The display recreates the lost setting of the bridge, once spanning the Tevere where Ponte Sisto stands today. A video reanimates the monumental dedicatory inscription commissioned by Valentinian and Valens, carved in travertine and meant to proclaim imperial authority along the riverfront. Through contextual materials and historical reconstruction, the exhibition revives a topography where architecture, sculpture and text once formed a unified public spectacle. Long hidden in storage, these bronzes illuminate a vanished river landscape - Rome as a stage of monuments reflected in the water.