The bombing of Pompeii in 1943: New evidence about the bronzes

Abstract

In 1943, Pompeii was the object of bombing raids by the Allied forces, a sad and forgotten chapter in the history of the ancient city, which is a topical and prominent issue in light of the recent destruction and war damage suffered by many archaeological sites and museums in the Middle East and North Africa. Along with many Roman buildings, the raids also affected the Museo Pompeiano, resulting in the destruction of most of the objects exhibited. The Museum had been set up according to modern and innovative concepts for the time, and the damage proved to be severe and irreparable, as many of the antiquities on display were of known provenance and contextualized, but still unpublished. After the end of the Second World War, a part of the objects recovered from the ruins of the building were considered hopelessly lost and therefore completely neglected. Among them were hundreds of bronzes belonging to different functional categories: an ongoing project aimed at restoring and studying these artifacts has revealed their potential and some unexpected data, illuminating their complex biography(ies). An attempt is being made to recontextualize these objects in order to trace their provenance on the basis of inventories, archival documents and the bibliography concerning the Museum and its last pre-war layout.