by InTrieste
As the holiday season fills the air with warmth and cheer, the “J.J. Winckelmann” Museum of Antiquities invites visitors to delve into the captivating world of ancient history with two special guided tours of its latest exhibition, “The Myth of the Ambisontes: Roman Mercenaries in the Isonzo Valley.” These tours will be held on Sunday, December 29, 2024, and Sunday, January 5, 2025, at 11:00 AM, offering an enriching cultural experience free of charge and without the need for reservations.
Curated by the esteemed conservator Marzia Vidulli Torlo, the exhibition presents an extraordinary collection of artifacts loaned from the Natural History Museum of Vienna. These items, excavated from two necropolises in the upper Isonzo basin, offer a rare glimpse into the lives and traditions of an indigenous people at a transformative moment in history: the arrival of the Romans.
The exhibition situates visitors in the 1st century BCE, a time when the founding of Aquileia and the expansion of Italy’s borders to the Alps by Julius Caesar and later Augustus reshaped the region. Indigenous populations, while assimilating into the Roman military, retained their distinct cultural practices—a narrative woven through the artifacts on display.
Among the highlights are intricately crafted weapons, including bronze and iron helmets, swords, and shields, alongside personal adornments such as fibulae (brooches) and necklaces. The collection also features exquisite tableware for dining and wine, as well as agricultural and artisanal tools—a rare glimpse into daily life preserved within Iron Age burial contexts.
Central to the exhibition is the enigmatic question: Were the Ambisontes a real tribe, or does their story belong to the realm of myth? The artifacts provide clues, but definitive answers remain elusive, adding an air of mystery to the narrative.
“The myth of the Ambisontes resonates with a timeless allure,” says Vidulli Torlo. “It invites us to reflect on the interplay between history and legend, and on how cultural identities evolve amidst great change.”
This carefully curated exhibition will remain open to visitors until March 9, 2025, offering ample opportunity to explore this captivating chapter of history.
For further details, visit the museum’s website at www.museoantichitawinckelmann.it.
