Art Out of the Museum at Hotel del Senato
Aphrodite resurfaces from the sea: a face, marked by time and salt, returns to tell a story of beauty, journey, and arrival. The head of Aphrodite of Knidos, Roman copy (2nd century AD) inspired by the famous Greek model by Praxiteles, is the star of the new iteration of Art Out of the Museum. The work was presented on April 22nd at Hotel del Senato, near the Pantheon, which will host the archaeological find in its lobby until September 13th, 2026.
Discovered in the harbour area of ancient Centumcellae, now Civitavecchia, the head shows clear signs of time spent underwater, with marks left by mollusks. It likely belonged to a statue originally placed in a sacred building dedicated to Aphrodite Euplea, protector of good navigation—a symbolic presence for those departing and those arriving.
Inspired by the Aphrodite of Knidos, one of the most famous works of antiquity, the sculpture represents one of the first examples of a female deity depicted completely nude. It was a revolutionary image for the ancient world, combining modesty and sensuality in an iconic gesture: the goddess, surprised, covers herself as she emerges from the wate
Preserved at the National Archaeological Museum of Civitavecchia (Regional Directorate of National Museums of Lazio), the work is on temporary loan to Albergo del Senato, where it will be exhibited to the public in a unique context, reestablishing an ideal connection between art, hospitality, and travel.
The conservation and restoration of the work was made possible thanks to the contribution of the Ludovico degli Uberti Foundation.
LoveItaly thanks sponsors MAG Italia
LoveItaly thanks Montenovi
