On 20 September 2024, during archaeological excavations carried out at the Villa of Sette Bassi in Rome, within the Archaeological Park of Appia Antica, an exceptional curvilinear marble pediment was recovered. 

The piece was found almost intact inside the basin of a large nymphaeum with fountains and niches, which must have opened onto one of the reception rooms of the complex. Originally, the pediment probably had a symmetrical twin, and at the centre, between the two, there was most likely a mask with a water spout. The piece on display is the only high-quality item to have survived the plundering that struck the villa over the centuries, and stands as a precious testimony to the original richness of its decorative apparatus. 

The Villa of Sette Bassi, attributed to a member of the senatorial elite between the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD, was one of the most imposing suburban complexes of ancient Rome, and later rebuilt in a more monumental form in the 4th century. Thanks to the careful restoration carried out as part of the “Art Out of the Museum” project, the piece has recovered full legibility and will remain on display at the Sina Bernini Bristol Hotel until May 2027, when it will return to the new exhibition area currently under development at the Villa of Sette Bassi site in Via Tuscolana 1700, Rome. 

The initiative is promoted by LoveItaly and Federalberghi Lazio, as part of an agreement signed with the Directorate-General for Museums of the Ministry of Culture, and made possible thanks to the generous support of Fondazione Roma and Sina Hotels. 

From the discovery to the hotel: Enjoy the video showing this incredible journey