The Kylix of Kleophrades Returns to Sarteano

Exhibition as part of the “Etruscans 85-25 project”, promoted by Regione Toscana and organised by Fondazione Musei Senesi and Associazione dei Musei e Parchi Archeologici della Toscana. The exhibition is realized in collaboration with Comune of Sarteano, SarteanoLiving, and Museo Archeologico di Sarteano.

  

 

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As part of a journey to rediscover the ancient Etruscan civilization across the museums of Siena, a highly symbolic exhibition takes center stage: "La kylix di Kleophrades torna a Sarteano" (The Kylix of Kleophrades Returns to Sarteano), dedicated to one of the most significant and, at the same time, most telling artifacts of the widespread dispersal that has affected the archaeological heritage of the region. 

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Returning—albeit temporarily—to Sarteano’s Museo Civico Archeologico, this precious example of Attic pottery is the kylix of Kleophrades, discovered during excavations at the Etruscan necropolis of Solaia. On view in a dedicated exhibition through November 2, the kylix presents a unique opportunity to reflect on the archaeological history of the area and the urgent need to reconstruct a fragmented cultural memory. This remarkable red-figure Attic vessel, dating to the early 5th century BCE, was originally part of the Borselli Collection, one of many private collections formed in the 19th century, often built through excavations driven by the sale of artifacts.

Indeed, during the 19th century, the necropolis of Solaia– then the largest in the Chiusi area– was the focus of intense excavation campaigns, which resulted in the dramatic dispersal of the local archaeological heritage to museums and private collections throughout Italy and Europe. The kylix now on display stands as a symbol of this cultural diaspora, but also of a renewed effort to return to the territory a more complete and authentic narrative of its past.

The exhibition also invites reflection on the broader context of this historical dispersal. Consider the Bargagli Collection, now the core of the Museo Archeologico di Siena, or the Fanelli Collection, whose artifacts are now housed in Florence. As noted, the kylix itself once belonged to the Borselli Collection, now partially held at the Museo Archeologico di Bologna. Before this exhibition, the kylix had left Bologna only once—for a major show at the Musée du Louvre.

From Cities of the Dead to Cities of the Living

Since the 1950s, systematic excavations carried out by the Soprintendenza Archeologica have helped recover parts of this lost heritage, bringing to light new artifacts now on display at the Museo Civico Archeologico di Sarteano. In the 2000s, significant additions came from the necropolises of La Palazzina and Le Pianacce, thanks to acquisition and preservation efforts.

The temporary return of the kylix to Sarteano is therefore more than a loan—it is an occasion to reflect not only on the “cities of the dead” – the Etruscan necropolises that dot the Senese landscape – but also on the traces of the “cities of the living”: the settlements, activities, and expressions of daily life that reveal the richness of an Etruscan community whose imprint on the territory is deep and still not fully explored.

This exhibition—marking the reopening of the Museo Civico Archeologico di Sarteano after two months of renovation and compliance upgrades—is part of "The Etruscans 85–25 project", promoted by Regione Toscana and realized by Fondazione Musei Senesi and Associazione dei musei e parchi archeologici della Toscana. The show is organised in collaboration with Comune di Sarteano, SarteanoLiving, the Museo Archeologico di Sarteano, and Intrepido Servizi, within the framework of Valdichiana 2026.