Right in the heart of Frascati’s historic center, the Museum is located in the majestic Aldobrandini Stables, an important architectural complex from the seventeenth- century, originally conceived in service of the nearby aristocratic villa. The building, modernized in 2000 by the architect Massimiliano Fuksas, is now a multi-functional cultural space. While the ground floor hosts a permanent archeological collection, the upper floor boasts a showing room for temporary art exhibitions and an auditorium for concerts, conferences and educational workshops.

The museum tour follows a chronological thematic installation that mainly embraces the ancient Roman Age. The focal point of the collection comes from the excavation site in the nearby latin town of Tusculum. The museum houses numerous sculptures and findings tied to the myth of Dionysus (Baccus), god of vineyards and wine, as a testimony of the enological calling of the territory in ancient times. Among the pieces displayed is the so-called Menade of Tuscolo, rediscovered in 2023. Made up of Pentelic marble and hailing from Athens, the subject wears a Nebris (sacred cape made of fawn skin) with an extraordinarily elegant sleeved chiton, whose fabric cascades in soft waves that emulates with startling realism the lightness of the cloth, revealing the freedom of the body below.

The Maenads, also known as Bacchae or Bacchantes, were Dionysus’ female followers. During nightly rituals, they used to reach a state of mystical trance, called mania bacchica, caused by dancing, wine and psychoactive drugs. The Maenads can be seen as a symbol of female emancipation and liberation from conventional societal norms. The museum tour ends in a room dedicated to the Ville Tuscolane, noble buildings erected between 1550 and 1620 in the lush Tuscolana countryside. Here, visitors can admire fine etching prints and wooden models of the villas that bear witness to the luxurious residential nature of the area, favored by noble Roman families throughout history.

Campagna fotografica realizzata nell’ambito del progetto “Oltre Roma” e finanziata dalla Regione Lazio, Avviso Pubblico “La cultura fa sistema 2021”