Athena of Velletri at the Louvre, Paris

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Many ancient copies of the bronze have been unearthed, revealing a large-scale production of them as indicated by the Baiae discovery. The most renowned example stands at an impressive 10 ft high, discovered in the ruins of a Roman villa nestled within a vineyard near Velletri in 1797. When rediscovered, it was acquired by Vincenzo Pacetti, who skillfully added the helmet's peak, the straight forearm, the hands, the feet, the snakes, and a section of the cloak, also polishing the entire surface to perfection. He subsequently sold it to the French Directory, which transported it to Rome, where it was soon seized by Neapolitan forces when they briefly occupied the city from November to December 1798 during the early stages of the War of the Second Coalition. France reclaimed it in the Treaty of Florence (28 March 1801), and it has been prominently displayed at the Louvre since December 1803.