From 6 February, 2020, the Model of Rome is on public show again at the Museum of Art & History in Brussels. The Model has now been enhanced by digital and interactive devices, partially financed by the Alexis Liénard Fund.

The Model of Rome exhibited at the Museum of Art & History is an exceptional work. At the start of the 20th century, French architect Paul Bigot designed and created four examples of the model, of which only two have been preserved. The example at the Museum of Art & History is the only one made in colour and the only one to be exhibited in a public institution open to the public: the other is in keeping at the University of Caen.

The model represents Rome at its zenith, at the end of the 4th century, and is one of the key exhibits of the museum’s classical antiquities department, admired by visitors from around the world. Thanks both to the model’s size (11 x 4 metres) and its scale (1:400), it has numerous pedagogical advantages for schools as well as for students in archaeology and architecture.

Despite its remarkable state of conservation, a certain amount of restoration was necessary, particularly in relation to how best it could be exhibited. The restoration work was financed in part by the Alexis Liénard Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation. This fund has as its objective to contribute to quality teaching of Latin and Greek in Belgium.

Prior to its being put on show again, the model was also subjected to careful in-depth cleaning and to a detailed scan to map it in its entirety. Following this, a number of new technologies, including videos, apps, 3D animation and virtual reality, were integrated in the exhibit in order to provide a digital and interactive experience for visitors.

Practical details:

Museum of Art & History
Parc du Cinquantenaire 10, 1000 Brussels
From 6 February 2020