Museo archeologico nazionale di Palestrina

Based on Nadia Agnoli's scientific catalog Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Palestrina: Le sculture, this monograph offers a comprehensive examination of the marble sculptures preserved in the museum, tracing Praeneste's artistic, historical, and civic development from the late second century BCE into the late Imperial era. By documenting newly analyzed and unpublished works—predominantly crafted from Parian marble—the author establishes direct artistic and stylistic connections between Praeneste and the Late Hellenistic Aegean, specifically Rhodes and Delos. The analysis further clarifies the local reception of urban Roman trends, highlighting shifts in artistic production during periods of political prosperity and crisis. Through iconographic and epigraphic contextualization, the study re-evaluates significant historical monuments, including the Grimani reliefs, the Trajanic triumph relief, and various civic inscriptions, while exploring syncretic religious phenomena surrounding the cults of Fortuna Primigenia and Isis. Ultimately, the volume provides a systematic, highly illustrated framework for understanding ancient Praeneste's commercial networks, religious life, and artistic legacy within Central Italy.