Relief from the Hadrianeum

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Human: The Farnese family's extensive collection of ancient sculpture owed a significant debt to their Rome excavation projects, generously funded by successive generations of family members over several decades. Through these excavations, fortunate discoveries were made of high-quality marble sculpture from pivotal imperial Roman monuments. At some point before 1549, when Paul III passed away, a set of reliefs was unearthed. By around 1550, the Farnese collection boasted this discovery. Other pieces from the same group surfaced at various times and found their way into prominent collections in Rome. The subjects depicted were powerful representations of Roman provinces and trophies. Once integral to the decorative scheme of the Hadrianeum complex, a temple dedicated to deified Hadrian in the Campus Martius by Antoninus Pius (AD 145), these artworks had been part of the original structure. This building, later mistaken for the Basilica Antonini in the 16th century, still stood partially intact at that time, its remains integrated into a Customs house. The information comes from the National Archaeological Museum in Naples.