From June to October 2026, the Colosseum Archaeological Park will host the exhibition "Troy and Rome. Myths, Legends, Stories of the Ancient Mediterranean ," a major exhibition project promoted by the Ministry of Culture and dedicated to the profound connection between the Trojan world, the epic tradition, and the birth of Rome's founding myth. The initiative promises to be one of the most significant cultural events of the year, combining scientific research, the valorization of archaeological heritage, and international dialogue between Italy and Turkey.
The agreement between Italy and Türkiye at the basis of the project
The exhibition was created within the framework of the bilateral agreement signed in April 2025 in Rome by the Minister of Culture Alessandro Giuli and the Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. This agreement was followed, in December 2025, by a technical agreement signed at the Turkish Ministry's General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, involving Alfonsina Russo, Head of the Department for the Promotion of Cultural Heritage, and Simone Quilici, Director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park.
Over 300 artefacts, many exhibited for the first time in Italy
The exhibition will bring together more than 300 artifacts from major Italian museums and Troy. A central role will be played by loans from Turkey: over 220 works will come from 19 Turkish museums , including 50 artifacts never before exhibited to the Italian public . The exhibition will be introduced by a monumental replica of the Trojan Horse, a universal symbol of the epic tale and the entry point to an itinerary that will connect the archaeological finds from Troy with the reimagining of the myth of Aeneas and the founding of Rome.
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Troy beyond myth, between history and the ancient Mediterranean
The exhibition aims to restore Troy to its historical complexity, transcending a purely legendary interpretation of the site. The narrative will unfold along two tracks, literary and archaeological, with the aim of reconstructing approximately three millennia of Anatolian and Italic civilization. In this framework, myth becomes a key to understanding the circulation of ideas, symbols, and identities in the ancient Mediterranean.
The exhibition journey from the site of Troy to the foundation of Rome
The first section will be dedicated to the historical, archaeological, and topographical reconstruction of Troy, with artifacts from Turkish museums and an in-depth look at the Hittite world and the Anatolian cultures of the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC. The second section will address the Trojan War from the Trojans' perspective, focusing on the conflict's protagonists, the figure of Homer, and the epic tradition. The narrative will then continue with the fall of the city and the diaspora of Aeneas.
From Aeneas to Romulus, the construction of Roman identity
The third section will follow Aeneas's journey through literary sources, from Stesichorus to Virgil, and through archaeological evidence from southern Italy, Sicily, and Lazio. The fourth section will focus on Romulus and the founding of Rome, focusing on archaic Rome, the Romans' elaboration of the Trojan origins, and the centrality of the Augustan age in the canonization of the Aeneas saga.
The words of ministers Giuli and Ersoy
Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli called the initiative a cultural diplomacy project capable of bringing "the narrative power of a founding myth" to the international stage, restoring concreteness to archaeological evidence. Turkish Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy emphasized the importance of choosing the Colosseum, considered one of the most important hubs of global tourism, to make the universal heritage of Troy accessible to a global audience.
A cultural bridge between past and present
Through figures such as Paris, Helen, Priam, Hecuba, Cassandra, Hector, Achilles, Patroclus, Aeneas, Lavinia, Ascanius, and Romulus, the exhibition will offer a journey into the shared memory of the Mediterranean. The project is not limited to the exhibition, but also encompasses research, dissemination, and promotion activities, with the aim of strengthening scientific cooperation between Italy and Turkey and promoting a model of sustainable, high-quality cultural tourism.
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