Un musée pour l'Ecole. La collection d'antiques de l'Ecole franà§aise de Rome

In the autumn of 1875, the French School of Rome (à‰cole franà§aise de Rome) was officially established. A research institution housed in the Palazzo Farnese, it was designed for the training of young historians and archaeologists.Its first director, Auguste Geffroy (1820–1895), decided to assemble a collection of antiquities to introduce members to the sciences of Antiquity through the direct study of archaeological objects. Greek and Etruscan vases, materials from the School's earliest excavations, Roman-era sculptures and terracottas, bas-reliefs, and decorative elements: more than 300 pieces representing a wide sample of ancient Italy's material production were thus patiently gathered with the goal of founding a teaching museum—though it never truly saw the light of day.

Nearly 150 years after its original conception, following new research into the provenance of these objects, their restoration, and their exhibition at the School in 2024, this largely unpublished collection is presented here for the first time. Through more than 400 photographs and some sixty original drawings, the museum imagined by Geffroy finally opens its doors and begins a new life.