News dated
From 4 November 2026 to 31 March 2027, Rome’s Capitoline Museums are displaying the dedication of the Vigiles to the Severan emperors beside two resin 3D prints. The display in Palazzo Nuovo’s Hall of the Emperors was developed with the University of Verona. The replicas show two stages in the object’s history while the original remains on view. [1]
The project digitally compared the plaque with a bust of Septimius Severus held by the British Museum. One replica reconstructs its AD 203 arrangement; the other follows a drawing published in 1650. The museum states that the missing busts of Geta and the Genius were generated using AI: these are reconstructions, not newly recovered ancient objects. [1]
The bright side
Showing the original and models together makes changes and erasures visible that a single version could hide. [1]
One idea, in simple words
At Rome’s Capitoline Museums, an old bronze plaque is displayed beside two modern copies. The exhibition began on 4 November. The plaque carries a dedication: words written to honour someone. The copies were made with a 3D printer, which builds objects with height, width and depth. [1]
Why are there two copies? They show how the object appeared at different times. Imagine comparing photographs of the same house before and after a change: that example helps explain the method. Some missing parts were recreated using artificial intelligence. They are not ancient pieces that have just been found. That is why the museum also shows the original and explains the reconstructions. [1]
A little discovery to keep
What did you discover?
Straight from the source.
- Dedica dei Vigili ai Severi. Dalla riscoperta al restauro virtuale Musei Capitolini · No publication date provided
Original reporting summaries prepared with AI assistance and accessible sources. Our editorial method.
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