Gli dei ritornano. I bronzi di San Casciano

At the MAN of Aquileia, the exhibition “Gli dei ritornano. I bronzi di San Casciano” (The Gods Return: The Bronzes of San Casciano) opens to the public on December 5 and runs until Sunday, March 8, 2026.

Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10 AM–7 PM.
Tickets: full €14, reduced €2, free for under 18s, included in the museum’s annual membership.

From December 5, 2025 to March 8, 2026, the exhibition “The Gods Return.

"The Bronzes of San Casciano" arrives at the National Archaeological Museum of Aquileia. The exhibition, curated by Massimo Osanna and Jacopo Tabolli, is dedicated to one of the most important archaeological discoveries of recent decades: the extraordinary Etruscan-Roman thermal sanctuary of San Casciano dei Bagni in the province of Siena.

The exhibition will showcase a collection of more than three hundred finds, the result of excavation campaigns conducted at the Bagno Grande archaeological site by the University for Foreigners of Siena, in collaboration with the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto and Arezzo and the Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni.

The evocative display inside the new storage rooms of the National Archaeological Museum of Aquileia enriches the exhibition with new findings from the latest excavation campaigns, displayed for the first time in Italy. The extraordinary finds recount centuries of devotion and prayer in a place characterized by the presence of hot springs, which significantly preserved the memory of this area's thermal vocation in its name: women and men, adults and children, of diverse cultures and languages, frequented and shared the same sanctuary, whose sacredness was closely linked to the presence of thermal waters with remarkable therapeutic qualities.

The theme of contact, exchange, and cultural contamination will be the key to understanding the Aquileia edition of the exhibition, which is part of the initiatives planned for the GO!2025 celebrations – Nova Gorica-Gorizia European Capital of Culture 2025. It enriches the program of events thanks to the high scientific profile of the curatorial project and the extraordinary documentary value of the artifacts. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 7:00 pm (last admission 6:00 pm). Full price ticket: €14 / Reduced price ticket: €2. Free for children under 18, on the first Sunday of every month and in accordance with ministerial regulations.

Promoturismo FVG offers guided tours by reservation on Saturdays, Sundays, and all holidays at 10:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The exhibition was promoted by the Ministry of Culture and organized by the Directorate General of Museums of the Ministry of Culture with the Historical Museum and Park of Miramare Castle - Regional Directorate of National Museums of Friuli Venezia Giulia - National Archaeological Museum of Aquileia. The exhibition is organized thanks to the collaboration between the Directorate General of Museums, the Directorate General of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape of the Ministry of Culture, the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Landscape for the provinces of Siena, Grosseto, and Arezzo, the University for Foreigners of Siena, and the Municipality of San Casciano dei Bagni.

As in previous editions, RAIStoria has produced a new introductory video for the exhibition, based on the documentary "In Flesh and Bronze" by Italia Viaggio nella Bellezza, directed by Eugenio Farioli Vecchioli and Brigida Gullo. The Aquileia Foundation is responsible for the video mapping projection that will illuminate the museum's façade throughout the Christmas season. The Municipality of Aquileia, the Friuli Foundation, and Promoturismo FVG also contributed to the exhibition.