Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (2nd century AD)
Large bronze sculptures from antiquity are exceptionally rare but the Capitoline Museums have some of the finest on display in Rome.
The Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius (Italian: Statua equestre di Marco Aurelio; Latin: Equus Marci Aurelii) is an ancient Roman equestrian statue on the Capitoline Hill, Rome, Italy. This bronze stands 4.24 m (13.9 ft) tall and dates from ca. 175 AD.
It is the only bronze statue of a pre-Christian era emperor to have survived to the present. It was probably only saved from being melted down by being misidentified as Emperor Constantine who legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire.
A good copy of the statue has been on display outside the museum since 1981 but seeing the original inside the museum suddenly makes the copy in the piazza far less impressive.
The Capitoline Museums complex (Musei Capitolini) in Rome has one of the finest collections of sculptures, statues, and archaeological finds from antiquity in the world, in addition to paintings and art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque. Top highlights are very rare large Roman bronze sculptures such as the original equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, Boy with a Thorn, and the Capitoline She-Wolf (and the much more recent Romulus and Remus). The paintings collection includes works by Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck, and many other European masters. Although the museum is rarely overcrowded, buying tickets online saves time.
