Capitoline Triad

The Rodolfo Lanciani Archaeological Museum in the small town of Guidonia Montecelio, just outside Rome, is the little-known home of one of the most important and unique examples of the Capitoline Triad, a marble sculpture depicting three of the main deities in the ancient Roman pantheon of gods.

In the center of the sculpture is the king of the gods, Jupiter. His wife Juno, the queen, sits on his left, and his daughter, Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, to his right. The deities are portrayed seated on a ceremonial throne with their sacred animals at their feet: Jupiter’s is an eagle, Juno’s a peacock, and Minerva’s an owl. This incredible sculpture group was discovered mostly intact, despite dating back to the 2nd century AD.