Beyond the Marble - Season 2

As the journey of “ Beyond the Marble ” concludes, it’s worth returning to the theme of love. Not the sublime and idealized love of Sappho, but a more cynical, unscrupulous Eros, as portrayed by Ovid. For the Roman poet, love isn’t a bolt from the blue; it’s a strategic game, an art to master, filled with tricks and deceptions. To explore this love, we must discuss Jupiter and his transformations....

A silence lasting centuries breaks in this episode of “ Beyond the Marble ” , as the voice of the marble worker Quintus Julius Miletus reaches us from a distant past. Sculpted on a funerary altar in the Portico of the Galleria Borghese, his epitaph tells the story of a man who came to Rome to witness grand games and live off his art. But his words offer more than a daily account: they refer to the...

The Galleria Borghese is a realm suspended between dream and reality. In this episode, the two Sleeping Nymphs of the Portico will lead us into the enigmatic world of dreams in antiquity—full of messages, omens of the future, and warnings from gods and the souls of the departed. We will uncover the power of Asclepius, the god of medicine who could heal the sick through his night visits, and encoun...

In the Egyptian Room, a small sculpture captivates and disturbs: Attis, the young god whose tragic story intertwines with the goddess Cybele, the Great Mother. This tale weaves together absolute love, pain, and madness, inviting us to reflect on how we cope with suffering today. A myth that reveals an intense yet incomprehensible relationship with pain, a far cry from our modern experience.

A ritual that would change everything: King Minos of Crete offers a gesture to Poseidon, foreshadowing a legendary catastrophe. In an act of seemingly innocent devotion, the tyrant breaks a sacred pact, unleashing a series of irreversible events driven by his insatiable thirst for power. The relief in the Galleria Borghese that captures this moment serves as a warning: nothing is ever as it seems,...

The Satyr riding a Dolphin, an enigmatic sculpture in the Egyptian Room, blends ancient allure with Renaissance fantasy. This exceptional piece depicts a young satyr riding a dolphin at water’s edge, seems to have inspired many great artists. But what truly lies behind this surprising and whimsical image?  

The sea, with its timeless mystery, has always intrigued and challenged us. In the Galleria Borghese, among the Roman mosaics of the Egyptian Room, the sea takes shape in the faces of its ancient deities. There’s Oceanus, the old father of all waters, guardian of life and its secrets. Then there’s Nereus, the god of calm waters and safe harbors, symbolizing hope and new beginnings, inviting us to...

What do we mean when we talk about love? We refer to something elusive that can never be fully defined. In antiquity, love took the sensual form of Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and desire. Among the sculptures in Room I of Galleria Borghese, one stands out: a magnificent head of Aphrodite, reminiscent of Sappho, the poetess who sang about love like no other. For Sappho, Eros is an overwhelming...

A legendary population of indomitable warrior women, but who were the Amazons really? In this episode of “ Beyond the Marble ”, the Borghese sculpture of the Amazon on horseback showcases the exceptional strength of these mythical figures, often seen as symbols of independence from male control. This is a work that reveals more than it initially appears to.

One sculpture, three bodies, three faces, three ages: Hecate, the dark goddess, protector of crossroads and thresholds, lady of the moon and black magic. Mysterious and powerful, Hecate offers protection, but also poses challenges. In the ancient world, crossroads were not merely places of passage; they were critical points filled with dangers and shadows. It was here that travellers faced crucial...