Rome, the beating heart of a vast global empire, conquered its space and role by entertaining relations with the many cultures and populations which, over the centuries, had gained their place on the Mediterranean scene, beginning with the Italian peninsula as the first major theatre for its expansionism.
From the Fourth Century BCE and the extraordinary variety and cultural richness of pre-Roman Italy – a fascinating mosaic of peoples and traditions – Tota Italia narrates the process of Romanization, be it by confrontation, encounter or hybridization, retracing the stages which led the peninsula towards its first great unification under Augustus.
With a coherent and unified narrative, Tota Italia represents an opportunity to promote the important heritage of the Italian state collections, recalling the rich cultural plurality at the origins of our country’s history.