Our Collections. Art and archaeology

The aim of the museum is to act as an instrument for the understanding and appreciation of the history of Bracciano and its surrounding area. The collection of the Museo Civico di Bracciano is diverse, spanning artifacts from the 4th century B.C. to contemporary works. The museum is organized into several exhibition rooms, each centered on a specific theme.

In each room, one or more wall panels briefly describe the various cultural aspects documented by the objects in the room, while more in-depth information is available in the holders located below the panels.

This section presents: the Etruscan Age, the Roman and Paleochristian Ages, Art by patrons and artists of Bracciano, Religious Art.

A small but historically rich collection: be sure to include it in your visit to Bracciano. Community, Etruscan, Roman and early Christian art, works of artists and testimonies of sacred art: these are the themes dealt with in the five rooms of this small civic exhibition.

M. Faraone. Review of a visitor

The Etruscan Age

The museum exhibits document the presence of Etruscan settlements in the area. Many objects in the collection illustrate aspects of daily life in the Etruscan civilization, such as amphorae, saucers, items for body care and clothing, and buccheri—Etruscan ceramics characterized by their distinctive black color, achieved through a specialized firing process. Among the exhibits, one particularly significant artifact is a Genucilia-type plate featuring a Latin alphabetarium on its rim, complete with 21 letters. Dating to the second half of the 4th century BC, it is one of the oldest known Latin alphabet models.

Genucilia plate with alphabet

Second half 4th century BC

Ceretan production
Hazelnut clay with black paint decoration 4,5 x 14 cm (rim diameter).

Etruscan wine jug (oinochoe)

Second half 4th century BC
Painted clay

Red-figure bell krater

Third quarter of the 4th century BC
Apulian product
Hazelnut clay
26 x 23 cm (rim diameter)

Dipper cup (kyathos)

6th century BC
Bucchero
Diameter 11,5 cm

Wine jug (oinochoe)

Late 7th – early 6th century BC
Bucchero

The Roman and Paleochristian Ages

Roman artefacts provide evidence of the Romanisation of the territory. Most of these artefacts originate from the archaeological area of Vicarello and the ancient Roman town of Forum Clodii, both situated in the region of Bracciano. The latter was located in the area now known as the San Liberato estate. Several early Christian artefacts displayed in this room also come from this area.

One of the most significant Roman works is the so-called Apollo of Vicarello. Frequented since Neolithic times for its thermal waters, the Vicarello site lost its natural conformation in Roman times and was transformed into a thermal complex for the use of the population.

Apollo of Vicarello

2nd century AD
Baths of Vicarello (Bracciano)
Penetelic marble
Torso height 120 cm

Gravestone with Latin inscription

1st century AD
Whitish limestone
56 x 58 x 49 cm

Dimensions of the epigraphic mirror: 40 x 49 cm

Honorary inscription of Forum Clodii

2nd century AD
Forum Clodii area
Onion marble
35 x 47 x 20 cm

Togated statue

1st century A.D.
Lunense marble

Inscription

4th century AD
Provenance uncertain
White marble
39 x 34.5 x 4.5 cm

Art by patrons and artists of Bracciano

The history of art in Bracciano, as in many other minor centres, is deeply intertwined with religious and civil patronage. This patronage was primarily driven by the local community and the powerful families who held sway over the town: the Prefetti of Vico, the Orsini, the Odescalchi, and, for a brief period, the Torlonia.

Room D showcases works commissioned by prominent local patrons, both public and private. These include pieces by artists who either worked in Bracciano or were born there, such as Cristoforo Stati. Some artworks, like the portrait of Sofia Branicka Odescalchi and the bust of Marino Torlonia.

Venus and Adonis

Cristoforo Stati (1556-1619)
1600-1610
Marble
185 cm

Mostra di fontana

Author unknown – workshop of Cristoforo Stati (1556-1619)
Early 17th century
Marble
62 x 79 cm

Elemosina di San Tommaso da Villanova

Gerolamo Troppa (1637 – 1710)
Second half 17th century
Oil on canvas
125 x 190 cm
Property of the Fondo Edifici di Culto del Ministero dell’Interno

Sophia Branicka Odescalchi

Author unknown – Handiwork by Vincenzo Volpe (1854-1929)
Second half of the 19th century
Provenance uncertain – Oil on canvas
120 x 80 cm

Religious Art

The works exhibited in the museum originate from the nearby Augustinian church of Santa Maria Novella and bear witness to the town’s religious life. Among them is the mannequin of the Madonna, carried in procession on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption. Some pieces highlight the refined decorative quality of liturgical artifacts. Noteworthy examples include the black and gold chasuble, possibly donated by Pope Innocent X Doria Pamphili (1644–1655) during a visit to Bracciano, and the silver censer crafted by Francesco Ossani in the first half of the 19th century.