The Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles is hosting the exhibition “Visions of Volterra” until 13 May. This exhibition project brings together archaeology, technological innovation, and international collaboration to explore the complex, millennia-old identity of one of Tuscany’s most captivating cities.
At the heart of the exhibition is the discovery of the Roman amphitheatre of Volterra, an extraordinary 1st-century AD monument, uncovered by chance in 2015 during hydrological remediation works. Unmentioned in any historical or literary sources, the amphitheatre – immediately dubbed “the amphitheatre that wasn’t there” – is now the focus of an extensive project of research, conservation, and digital documentation, supported by the Italian Ministry of Culture.
Through a combination of original artefacts – including two busts of Augustus and Livia, on display in the United States for the first time – 3D models, and digital reconstructions, the exhibition offers visitors the chance to explore Volterra from a new perspective, where past and future meet through the language of innovation.
Under the auspices of the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles and the Embassy of Italy in Washington, the project is the result of collaboration between the Italian Cultural Institute, the Superintendency for the provinces of Pisa and Livorno, the Volterra-Detroit Foundation, Autodesk – a global leader in engineering and construction software – and Case Technologies, a company specialising in digital solutions for architecture. Thanks to this public-private partnership, a 3D mapping of Volterra’s most significant historical and artistic sites has been made possible.
