Conferences in connection with the ‘The Etruscans, a Mediterranean civilisation’ exhibition
By Laurent Haumesser, chief curator for the Department of Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquity, Musée du Louvre
In Rome between 1830 and 1850, Giampietro Campana gathered one of the biggest private collections in Europe. With the goal of showcasing the historic and artistic heritage of the Italian peninsula, Campana devoted a lot of attention to the Etruscans and their material culture. The complex, romantic story behind this collection, from Campana’s excavation work to presentation at the Louvre and in other museums of France (including Nîmes), is fascinating and tells us so much about the rediscovery and acceptance of the Etruscan civilisation, from the 19th century right up until today.
