The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the Baths of Diocletian: exhibiting stories of art looting and restitution

Facing piazza della Repubblica, the Octagonal Hall of the Baths of Diocletian is the seat of the recently established Museum of Rescued Art (Museo dell'Arte Salvata), conceived to showcase periodically changing artworks saved from looting, theft, illicit trafficking, conflict contexts or natural disasters. The current display of newly recovered artworks, titled "New Recoveries" (Nuovi Recuperi), runs until 11 January 2026 and presents more than 100 archaeological objects, spanning a wide chronological range and originating from diverse cultural contexts, including Etruscan, Roman, Greek, Magna Graecian, Hellenistic, and Egyptian. These looted artworks are ultimately destined to be returned and displayed in their territories of origin. Therefore, the Museum of Rescued Art may be welcomed as an opportunity to reflect on the intangible value of cultural heritage for the identity of peoples and civilizations.

The recently opened site: from the Roman baths to a Planetarium

The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

Opened to public on a regular basis thanks to the establishment of the Museum of Rescued Art in its location, the Octagonal Hall has a complex and varied history, whose stratification is reflected in the present state of the architecture.

Belonging to the same complex of the Baths of Diocletian, built under Emperor Maximian between 298 and 306 AD and later converted in 1889 into one of the seats of the National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano alle Terme di Diocleziano), the so-called Octagonal Hall (Aula Ottagona) was probably used as secondary frigidarium (cold room) of the baths during the Ancient Roman period.

Interior, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

The hall has a square exterior plan and an octagonal interior, and is covered by a majestic “umbrella dome” (“a ombrello”) of the Rotunda Diocletiani, with a diameter of about 22 meters (one of the largest in the Roman world), once decorated in antiquity with precious figurative stuccoes on the ceiling and marble cladding on the walls. The original flooring was at a lower level and it is still visible beneath the present one, made of peperino slabs, through glass panels along its perimeter, as well as through the crystal octagonal opening at the center, corresponding to the octagonal oculus of the Roman dome.

From 1575, with Pope Gregorio XIII Boncompagni, the hall was transformed into one of the storage spaces of the Granari Gregoriani (papal food granary) as part of the Annona Frumentaria (Pontifical Food Administration), later enlarged under Pope Paulus V Borghese in the Seventeenth century. To this early modern phase date the vaults and the large masonry pillars articulating the underground space, where the preexistent structures are still visible.

Entrance portal on Via Giuseppe Romita, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

Although the National Roman Museum was founded in 1889, the Octagonal Hall continued to undergo further transformations before its final musealization. Initially used as a gymnastic school (Scuola Normale di Ginnastica), in 1911 it became an exhibition hall for the Archaeological Exhibition of that year. In 1913 it was converted into a venue for educative shows (“Sala della Minerva” cinema).

From 1928 until the early 1980s, the Octagonal Hall experienced one of its most long-lasting transformations, when it housed a sophisticated instrument for studying the celestial vault: the famous Zeiss Planetarium, at the time the largest in Europe. A projector manufactured by the Carl Zeiss company of Jena was installed to reproduce the celestial vault on the ancient dome, which was not fully visible. To this phase belongs the new main entrance portal on via Giuseppe Romita, designed by the architect Italo Gismondi and decorated with zodiac signs, the inscription “Planetario” and Dante’s verse “l’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle”.

Head of Asclepius, from an Hellenistic original, end of 2nd-3rd centuries AD, from the Baths of Caracalla (Terme di Caracalla), The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

The Planetarium was removed between 1983 and 1987, when the Archeological Superintendence of Rome started a restoration project aimed at converting the space into a museum hall. A surviving trace of the Planetarium is the geometric lattice framework supported by 24 metal columns and cast-iron capitals.

As part of the permanent archeological display of the Octagonal Hall, bronze and marble statues coming from Roman Imperial baths are exhibited (among them, the Venus, or Aphrodite, of Cyrene, once displayed here was restituted to Libya in 2008).

The new Museum of Rescued Art: permanent collection of temporary exhibitions

"Nuovi Recuperi" exhibition (26 June 2025-11 January 2026), The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

Since 2022, the Octagonal Hall of the Baths of Diocletians has housed the Museum of Rescued Art (Museo dell'Arte Salvata), established under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture and with the support of the General Directorate of Museums.
The Museum of Rescued Art is part of the National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano), enriching the museum network of four sites, which includes the Baths of Diocletian, Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, and Crypta Balbi museums. Admission is included in the single ticket for all the seats of the National Roman Museum.

Two statuettes belonging to the group of terracotta dancers, likely from Southern Italy (Taranto area?), 2nd century BC, recovered in 2025, voluntary return by private individuals, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

The museum is conceived as a dynamic display of artworks newly saved from looting, theft, illicit trafficking, conflict contexts or natural disasters such as earthquakes, with the visual support of modular panels and display cases. The Museum of Rescued Art is based on a unique, work-in-progress museological project: its “permanent collection” is in fact intended as composed of temporary exhibitions, with periodically changing artworks and arrangements according to the outcomes of international investigations, recoveries, and restitution processes. Each time a new collection of recovered artworks arrives, the pieces previously on display are replaced and restituted to their rightful owners, thus fulfilling the museum’s cultural mission. The artworks are eventually destined to be displayed in museums located in their territories of origin, often presumed or reconstructed through the collaboration of archaeologists and scholars, given the clandestine nature of the illegal excavations. Such practices severely affect cultural heritage by depriving artworks of their original contexts, a problem already articulated in 1796 by the art theorist Antoine-Chrysostome Quatremère de Quincy.

The first exhibition of recovered objects, held on the occasion of the museum’s inauguration on 15 June 2022, was made possible thanks to the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (TPC). From 17 September to 15 October 2022, the exhibition was enriched by another recovered masterpiece, again through the activity of the Carabinieri's TPC unit: the sculptural group of Orpheus and the Sirens.

Statue of Venus in alabaster with children, unknown provenance, 1st-2nd century AD, recovered in 2024, in collaboration with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, County of New York, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

The current display of newly recovered artworks, titled "New Recoveries" (Nuovi Recuperi) runs from 26 June 2025 to 11 January 2026 and is curated by Sara Colantonio and Maria Angela Turchetti. It presents more than 100 archaeological objects spanning a wide chronological range, from the 9th century BC to the 3rd century AD, and originating from diverse cultural contexts, including Etruscan, Roman, Greek, Magna Graecian, Hellenistic, and Egyptian civilizations. These artworks were repatriated over the last three years, between 2022 and 2025, after having been illegally trafficked into private collections, auction houses, and museums from USA and Europe.

A frame from the 2024 operation which led to the recovery of Etruscan artifacts from an elaborate hypogeum at Città della Pieve, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

This is a joint effort shared by institutions involved in art research, preservation, conservation, and law enforcement, made possible in particular by the investigations carried out by the Carabinieri's TPC unit, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor’s Offices of the regions concerned, with the support of the Department for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage (DiVA), the Department for the Protection of Cultural Heritage (DIT) and the Central Institute for Restoration (ISCR). This work is primarily conducted through systematic investigative activity, encompassing the use of advanced digital tools such as the “Database of Illicitly Stolen Cultural Property” and the AI-powered software “S.W.O.A.D.S.” (Stolen Works Of Art Detection System), as well as and international diplomacy agreements.

Among the artifacts on display to the public, recovered through a joint investigation led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Perugia, are the alabaster female faces from eight polychrome Etruscan cinerary urns, originating from an illegal excavation of an elaborate hypogeum at Città della Pieve. The group, accompanied by two sarcophagi and related grave goods, represents one of the most significant recoveries of Etruscan artifacts ever accomplished.

Artworks restituted by auction houses

Important applications of these investigations include the monitoring of antiquities markets, commercial businesses, and auction houses, both in Italy and abroad. A positive outcome of such investigative activity is exemplified by the restitution of bronze Magna Graecian breastplates and armours.

Artworks repatriated thanks to collaboration with USA and European museums and authorities

Female terracotta head, perhaps representing Kore goddess, Hellenistic Sicily, 3rd century BC, from Morgantina, recovered in 2022, during the Operation Goddess, under Met-MiC Cultural agreement, formerly in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Inv. N. 1981.472.2, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

Major United States and European museums have entered into dialogue with Italian institutions to verify the provenance of their collections and have shown willingness to return unlawfully acquired objects, following the adoption of ethical acquisition guidelines prompted by the emerging awareness of cultural restitution ethics.
Examples of this process include the silver tableware and the terracotta busts of female goddesses restituted through collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the Etruscan bronze statues, stylistically comparable to the works excavated from the sanctuary of San Casciano dei Bagni in Tuscany, recovered through the Operation “Fenice”, carried out in Belgium in cooperation with the Brussels Magistrature and Judicial Police; and four figured Apulian potteries restituted following an agreement with the Antikensammlung of the Kunsthalle at the Christian-Albrechts-Universität of Kiel in Germany.

Artworks saved in favor of third countries

Antefix in terracotta depicting the Potnia theron ("Lady of Animals"), found in Ardea (Rome), Colle della Noce, between 1981 and 1983, 3rd-2nd centuries BC, recovered in 2022, under the Italy-Israel Cultural Agreement, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

Some pieces also derive from operations conducted by the Carabinieri's TPC unit in third countries or crisis areas, such as Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, between 2022 and 2024. These include votive terracotta figurines, pottery, seals, Coptic textiles, and ushabti statuettes.
Also included in this group is the significant antefix depicting the Greek goddess of wild animals Potnia-Theron, from the Hellenistic sanctuary of Ardea, south of Rome, repatriated in 2022 from the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Artworks repatriated from New York - USA

Bronze cauldron, unknown provenance (from Etruria?), first half of the 7th century BC, recovered in 2022, in collaboration with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, County of New York, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

The collaboration between the Carabinieri's TPC unit and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, County of New York, enabled the identification and seizure of several archaeological artifacts, unlawfully excavated in central and southern Italy (from the regions of Latium, Campania, Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily) and illegally imported into the United States of America in order to enter private collections and museums.
Among the successful investigations are the painted Caeretan (from Caere, or Cerveteri) terracotta slabs dating back to the 6th–5th century BC, and originating from the Etruscan necropolis of Cerveteri near Rome, as well as Etruscan votive bronzes and bucchero ceramics recovered in 2023.

Spontaneous restitutions by private individuals

Terracotta figurine depicting Amazon on horseback, likely from the Taranto area, 3rd century BC, recovered in 2025 in Washington, DC, voluntary return by private individuals, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

Part of the recoveries consists of voluntary, spontaneous restitutions carried out by citizens and private individuals, including art and antiquities dealers as well as private collectors. These actions reflect a growing awareness of the historical and legal value of such holdings and of the importance of protecting cultural heritage as an element rooted in community identity. Examples include five marble theatrical masks dating to the 1st century AD and an Ancient Roman funerary inscription belonging to the gens Calpurnia, looted from Villa Celimontana in Rome and later identified within the collection of an art dealer in the United Kingdom.

Read here the official captions for the present museum display sections.

“Beautiful things are less beautiful when they are out of place” J. de La Bruyère, Les Caractères, 1688, 18 (I)

Exhibiting success stories of provenance investigation and cultural restitution

Pair of bronze sheet hands, likely from the area of Vulci, 7th century BC, recovered in 2022, in collaboration with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, County of New York, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

The Museum of Rescued Art may be welcomed as an opportunity to reflect on the intangible value of cultural heritage for the identity of peoples and civilizations.
Beyond being expressions of a historical period or valuable products of human craftsmanship, artworks embody collective memory, creativity, and shared values. For this reason, the intentional destruction or dispersion of artistic and archaeological heritage in conflict contexts often accompanies attacks on the very roots of a country and constitutes an irreparable loss. This is also why rescuing cultural heritage from material destruction, safeguarding it, and conserving it for future generations is an urgent task that concerns the entire community.

In accordance with the new ICOM definition of the museum, adopted in Prague on 24 August 2022, as “a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing”, the exhibition of rescued artworks can be understood as a significant step within the process of cultural restitution. Stolen, dispersed, illegally exported, or looted works of art are temporarily restituted to humankind as a whole (that is, made accessible to the public through museum display), before eventually reaching their definitive location within their rightful communities and cultural contexts.

Attic black-figure amphora depicting Athena on a chariot, unknown provenance, attributed to the Painter of Lysippides, last quarter of the 6th century BC, recovered in 2025 during the Operation Fenice, Brussels, The Museum of Rescued Art in the Octagonal Hall of the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, Rome, Italy.

While the opportunity to return looted artworks to their original areas of discovery and belonging remains debated, we think that local communities deserves to be entrusted with the responsibility of conserving and displaying their own heritage. In this perspective, the paradigm of the centralized “great museum” should give way to a network of local small museums, overcoming any regional or civilizational hierarchies. This shift represents a key factor for strengthening of accessibility, local economies, peace building, and global cultural justice.
We used the expression “success stories” throughout, but it is clear that additional studies and efforts are still required. Archeologists, art historians, scholars, and provenance researchers must continue to identify original contexts of excavations and looting, in order to advance knowledge and ensure the full success of these troubled stories.
And we will therefore patiently follow this ongoing process of cultural restitution of looted art, aware that each artwork to be recovered and restituted represents another fragment of human memory to be saved, one object at a time.