Díaz Ayuso inaugura exposición de gladiadores romanos y reivindica la herencia occidental

Díaz Ayuso has emphasized that, despite the passage of centuries, the Roman footprint has been marked in Spain in theaters, amphitheaters, mosaics, or triumphal arches, complemented by museums, archaeological sites, and exhibitions like the one opening today at MARPA.

«Rome is still alive in us because we are Westerners, children of Greece, Rome, and Judeo-Christianity,» emphasized the President of Madrid, highlighting how this civilization brought together for centuries the thinking and beauty capacity of the Greeks, the talent for political organization of the Romans, and the respect for every human life, which is always dignified and free.»

The exhibition brings together over 170 original pieces from national and international collections and can be viewed for free until September 28 at the Crystal Courtyard of the Alcalá venue.

During the visit, Díaz Ayuso was able to see some of the standout elements of this exhibition curated by the director of the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, Trinidad Nogales, and the director of the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities at the National Archaeological Museum, Ángeles Castellano. Among these are helmets, daggers, or greaves (leg protectors worn by warriors) specially brought from Pompeii.

Thus, the exhibition allows visitors to approach with maximum rigor the historical phenomenon of gladiators from its origins, its relationship with power, the development of games, and the social role of its protagonists. The importance of the amphitheater building, the scene of the combats and a fundamental space in urban planning, is also illustrated with a spectacular museography that includes a small-scale reproduction.

Similarly, visitors can discover pieces reflecting the presence of gladiator shows in Roman art or popular culture, especially in Hispania, and learn about the reasons for the disappearance of these warriors and their permanence in the collective imagination thanks to literature or cinema to compare that cinematic vision with scientific and archaeological reality.

The 170 pieces come from collections at the National Museum of Roman Art in Mérida, National Archaeological Museum, Archaeological Museum of Seville, Archaeological Museum of Córdoba, Museum of Albacete, Museum of Mallorca, National Prado Museum, National Sculpture Museum, National Archaeological Museum of Naples, Capitoline Museums, Roman National Museum, and Museum of Roman Civilization.

Schedule and Free Guided Tours

The exhibition, with free admission, can be visited during the usual museum hours located in the historic center of Alcalá de Henares from Tuesday to Saturday, from 11:00 to 19:00, and on Sundays and holidays, from 11:00 to 15:00. Additionally, MARPA offers guided tours at 12:00 and 13:15 on weekends and holidays. These visits can be reserved by phone at 91 879 66 66.

For this exhibition, the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid has published two works, a study book on gladiators with contributions from leading national and international experts in the field, and a catalog that showcases the exhibited pieces and texts.

More information on the website of the Archaeological and Paleontological Museum of the Community of Madrid.