The Statua del dio Nilo: A Headless Roman Reunion

The Statua del dio Nilo: A Headless Roman Reunion

Venture into the tale of the Statua del dio Nilo, an ancient Roman sculpture, re-united with its head in Naples in 2013, the head having wandered off to Austria decades prior.

Hailing from the 2nd century AD, The Statua del dio Nilo, a statue representing the God of the Nile, was likely commissioned by Alexandrian traders in the Roman port city. In 1476, the statue was discovered headless, thus earning the moniker 'Corpo di Napoli', the reason for which remains a mystery. Upon finding its legs in 1657, it was placed upon a pedestal. In the years 1993 and 2013, this statue underwent two restorations. The 2013 restoration involved the recovery of the head that had earlier taken a jaunt to Austria, misappropriated in the 1950s. A public ceremony was held in 2014 to celebrate the completion of this restoration.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Nicolo Ciampini

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