Naples Archaeological Museum by Virginia

 Naples Archaeological Museum

by Virginia

This is a mosaic depicting a cock fight between two Roman men. On the lower right, the losing chicken is shown bleeding while its owner looks on forlornly just above it, sure that this battle will be a loss. In the background, the owner of the victorious chicken and his son rush to make an offering of a laurel wreath to a statue of the god Apollo in victory. This piece is a perfect representation of Roman culture, entertainment, and beliefs while utilizing an impressive mosaic style. However, the individual pieces of artwork were not the only sight to see, as the building itself set a stunning scene:

The photos above show different angles of the ceiling and walls in the Sundial Hall of the museum, which features an enormously beautiful and complex fresco of the crowning of King Ferdinand IV and Maria Carolina in celebration of their patronage of the arts. On the left side of the photo the text "Lacent nisi pateant" is painted, translating to "They [the arts] lie dormant unless they are displayed." But not to worry! The Overlake crew had plenty of time to admire the displays, as shown by the photo below:

Here, high schooler Virginia (class of 2027) poses like the statue to her right of Piccola Ercolanese, excavated from the ancient town of Herculaneum, a statue that is often associated with depictions of the goddess of the harvest, Demeter.

Another noticeable statue is one featured at the center of the grand staircase connecting the museum floors:

Above, King Ferdinand of house Bourbon, who was responsible for opening the Naples Archaeological Museum and sharing his family's collection of artwork with the world. Without him, we wouldn't have had our amazing experience.