Díaz Ayuso has highlighted that, despite the passage of centuries, the Roman footprint has been left in Spain in theaters, amphitheaters, mosaics, or triumphal arches, complemented by museums, archaeological sites, and exhibitions such as the one that opens its doors today at MARPA.
«Rome continues to live in us because we are Westerners, children of Greece, Rome, and Judeo-Christianity,» emphasized the president of Madrid, highlighting how this civilization brought together for centuries the thinking and capacity for beauty of the Greeks, the talent for political organization of the Romans, and the respect for every human life, which is always dignified and free.»
The exhibition brings together more than 170 original pieces from national and international collections and can be viewed for free until September 28 in the Crystal Courtyard of the Alcalá venue.
During the visit, Díaz Ayuso was able to see some of the most outstanding elements of this exhibition curated by the director of the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, Trinidad Nogales, and the director of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the National Archaeological Museum, Ángeles Castellano. Among these are helmets, daggers, or greaves (leg protectors worn by warriors) specially brought from Pompeii.
Thus, the exhibition allows visitors to approach with the utmost rigor the historical phenomenon of gladiators from its origins, its relationship with power, the development of games, and the social role of its protagonists. The importance of the amphitheater building, the scene of the fights and a fundamental space in urban planning, is also illustrated with a spectacular museography that includes a small-scale reproduction.
Similarly, visitors can discover pieces that reflect the presence of gladiator shows in Roman art or popular culture, especially in Hispania, and learn about the reasons for the disappearance of these warriors and their permanence in the collective imagination thanks to literature or cinema to be able to contrast that cinematic vision with scientific and archaeological reality.
The 170 pieces come from collections at the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, National Archaeological Museum, Archaeological Museum of Seville, Archaeological Museum of Córdoba, Museum of Albacete, Museum of Mallorca, National Prado Museum, National Sculpture Museum, National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Capitoline Museums, National Roman Museum, and Museum of Roman Civilization.
Schedule and Free Guided Tours
The exhibition, with free admission, can be visited during the usual museum hours located in the historic center of Alcalá de Henares from Tuesday to Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Sundays and holidays, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. In addition, MARPA offers guided tours at 12:00 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. during weekends and holidays. These visits can be reserved by calling 91 879 66 66.
On the occasion of the exhibition, the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid has published two publications, a study book on gladiators with contributions from national and international experts on the subject, and a catalog that includes the pieces and texts exhibited.
More information on the website of the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid.
