ROME.- The exhibition Cartier and Myth at the Capitoline Museums is proving to be one of the cultural highlights of the season in Rome, attracting more than 152,600 visitors in just three months since its opening. Hosted in Palazzo Nuovo and on view through March 15, 2026, the show has drawn strong interest from both local and international audiences, confirming the enduring appeal of Cartier’s artistic legacy and its dialogue with classical antiquity.

A notable portion of attendance comes from the city’s Roma MIC Card program, with over 39,000 cardholders visiting the exhibition free of charge between November 14 and February 15. The figures highlight the growing role of the low-cost cultural pass in encouraging residents and students in Rome to explore the capital’s museums and historic sites.

Curated by jewelry historian Bianca Cappello, archaeologist Stéphane Verger, and Capitoline Superintendent Claudio Parisi Presicce, the exhibition is promoted by Roma Capitale and the Capitoline Superintendency for Cultural Heritage, in collaboration with Maison Cartier and supported by Zètema Progetto Cultura. The installation design by Sylvain Roca, enriched by the creative contribution of Oscar-winning production designer Dante Ferretti, creates a dramatic setting for the encounter between ancient sculpture and modern jewelry.

At the heart of the exhibition is a striking visual and conceptual dialogue. For the first time, Palazzo Nuovo—traditionally home to the Capitoline Museums’ historic marble sculptures—serves as the venue for a temporary exhibition. Cartier creations, many drawn from the prestigious Cartier Collection, are displayed alongside masterpieces from Cardinal Alessandro Albani’s renowned sculpture collection, which forms the original core of the museum. The presentation is further enriched by ancient artifacts from Italian and international institutions and private collections.

The exhibition traces how, from the mid-19th century to today, Cartier has continuously reinterpreted the artistic and symbolic language of ancient Greece and Rome. Classical motifs, mythological figures, and architectural forms are shown evolving into modern jewelry designs that balance historical inspiration with contemporary elegance. By pairing jewels with ancient marbles, the exhibition reconstructs the cultural climate that shaped European fascination with antiquity throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

A special focus is placed on Cartier’s longstanding relationship with Italy—particularly Rome, whose artistic heritage played a key role in shaping European visual culture. Many sculptures in Palazzo Nuovo served as essential study models for generations of artists, and the exhibition explores how this same classical vocabulary influenced goldsmiths and collectors, from the Castellani workshop in 19th-century Rome and the Neoclassical Garland style, to later interpretations inspired by figures such as Jean Cocteau in the postwar years, and finally to contemporary Cartier creations.

Visitors can also explore a section dedicated to jewelry-making techniques, linking modern craftsmanship to ancient Roman methods and materials. Another part of the show examines Cartier’s mythological imagination, placing its designs in conversation with the museum’s classical deities—Aphrodite, Dionysus, Apollo, Heracles, Zeus, and Demeter—and encouraging visitors to rediscover the ancient sources behind the Maison’s iconic aesthetic.

With attendance continuing to grow and strong public engagement from both tourists and residents, Cartier and Myth at the Capitoline Museums is emerging as a major cultural success for Rome’s winter season, offering a rare opportunity to experience the timeless conversation between classical antiquity and modern luxury design.