The Acropolis Museum is marking its 17th anniversary with a major new exhibition exploring the enduring influence of ancient Greek art on Italy and the wider Western world.

Titled “Inspiration: Ancient Greek Art in Italy,” the exhibition will run from June 16 to August 30, bringing together 38 exceptional works in ceramic, bronze, and marble from some of Italy’s most important museums. Admission to the exhibition will be free.

Described as a cultural gift from Italy to Greece, the exhibition examines the profound impact of Greek artistic traditions on the peoples of the Italian Peninsula, from the Etruscans and other early communities to the Romans themselves. It also traces the legacy of Greek art into the modern era, highlighting its continued influence on Italian artists and collectors.

The exhibition takes its inspiration from the famous words of the Roman poet Horace: Graecia capta ferum victorem cepit – “Captive Greece captured her conqueror.” The phrase encapsulates a historical paradox: although Rome conquered the Greek world, Greek culture, art, philosophy, and education profoundly shaped Roman society. The resulting Greco-Roman civilization would go on to form one of the principal foundations of Western culture.

Among the highlights are masterpieces that rarely travel outside Italy. According to the Acropolis Museum, many of the 38 works are unique pieces that are not normally loaned abroad, making the exhibition an exceptional opportunity for visitors in Greece to encounter objects usually seen only in Italian collections.

Organized into seven thematic sections, the exhibition explores early contacts between Greek merchants and Etruscan elites; artistic production in Magna Graecia, the Greek colonies of southern Italy; the role of the Mediterranean Sea as a conduit for cultural exchange; and the ways in which Romans adopted and adapted Greek artistic traditions. Later sections examine aristocratic collecting in the modern era and the continuing dialogue between antiquity and modern Italian artists, including Antonio Canova, Alberto Savinio, and Giorgio de Chirico.

Free Open-Air Concert

As part of the anniversary celebrations, the Acropolis Museum will also host a free open-air concert by the National Symphony Orchestra of ERT on Friday, June 12. The performance will take place in the museum forecourt at 9 pm under the baton of internationally acclaimed Spanish composer and conductor Oscar Navarro.

On the evening of the concert, the museum galleries will remain open until 10 pm, while the second-floor restaurant will stay open until midnight.

For more information, visit the Acropolis Museum website.