National Etruscan Museum

National Etruscan Museum, museum in Rome devoted principally to antiquities of the pre-Roman period from ancient Umbria, Latium, and southern Etruria. Since 1889 the museum has been housed in the Villa Giulia, or Villa di Papa Giulio (Pope Julius), which was built in the mid-16th century for Pope Julius III. In 2012 the museum expanded to the nearby Villa Poniatowski.

The museum houses such celebrated sculptures as the painted terra-cotta Apollo and Hercules from Veii (now Isola Farnese), excavated in 1916 and 1939, considered to be among the best examples of late 6th- or early 5th-century-bce Etruscan sculpture. There is a fine terra-cotta cinerary urn, named for its resemblance to a sarcophagus, that depicts a couple reclining on a bed (Sarcophagus of the Spouses), a rare example from the necropolis at Caere (now Cerveteri). Many artifacts such as vases, bronzes, armour, mirrors, and votive statuettes are among the treasures of the museum. The collection of Greek vases includes the famous Chigi vase, found at Veii, a fine example of Proto-Corinthian vase painting dating from the first half of the 6th century bce. The Castellani Collection comprises Greek vases and jewelry (a few pieces of which were dramatically stolen in 2013 and later recovered).