The Torlonia Collection, a Treasure of Italian Heritage at the Louvre

The Torlonia marbles are crossing the Alps. An exhibition at the Louvre of the world’s largest private collection of ancient sculptures, once belonging to a 19 th -century Roman prince, is being organized by Cécile Giroire, Head of the Department of Etruscan, Greek and Roman Antiquities, and curator Martin Szewczyk. This treasure of Italian heritage will grace one of the museum’s most beautiful settings, Anne of Austria’s newly restored summer apartments: an obvious choice because they have housed the permanent collection of ancient sculptures since the museum was created. Inaccessible to the public for decades, the masterpieces of the Torlonia Collection have set out on a tour of exhibitions-events in Rome, Milan and now Paris, the first stop outside of Italy . For its owners, this is a return to distant origins. But the dynasty that was one of the papacy’s most reliable financial backers has its roots in France.   Il Caprone , early second century CE, former Giustiniani collection…