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Italy puts François Tomb frescoes on display after acquiring them for 15 million euros
The Culture Ministry purchased the 4th-century BC panels from the Torlonia family and placed them on view at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia. The tomb opens to the public on July 1, 2026, alongside loaned artifacts from other institutions.
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Italy placed fresco panels from the François Tomb on public display at the National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome on June 30, 2026. nypost.com reported that the Culture Ministry acquired the panels for 15 million euros, or about $17 million, from members of the Torlonia family. The panels date to 330–310 BC.
Alessandro François discovered the tomb in 1857 at Vulci on land owned by the Torlonia family. Workers detached the frescoes from the necropolis in 1863 and added them to the family’s private collection. The Italian government had sought possession of the tomb since 1921.
The display includes jewels, Etruscan vases and other tomb items loaned from museums including the British Museum and the Brussels Royal Museums of Art and History. The François Tomb acquisition marks the Culture Ministry’s third major purchase of expensive artworks in 2026.
9 million for Antonello da Messina’s “Ecce Homo” and around $35 million for a Caravaggio portrait of Maffeo Barberini, the future Pope Urban VIII.
Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has directed funds toward fewer, larger acquisitions. Massimo Osanna, director general of Italian museums, said the ministry has invested heavily in masterpieces in recent months. Luana Toniolo, director of the Villa Giulia museum, called the tomb one of the greatest masterpieces of antiquity and Etruscan painting and one of the best preserved.
The tomb is scheduled to open to the public on July 1, 2026.
