141. LUCIUS CORNELIUS SCIPIO BARBATUS SARKOPHAGUS, Rome first half of the 19th century, Grand Tour souvenir, after antiquity.

Sculpted marmo rosso antico, front with Latin text, CORNELIO - CNF - SCIPIO -CORNELIVS LVCIVS SCIPIO BARBATVS PGNIAVOD PATRE PROGNIATVS FORTIS VIR SAPIENS QVE QROIVS FORM A VIRTVTEI PARNISVMA FVIT CONSOL CENSORE AIDTEIS QREI FVIT APVD VOS TAVRASIA CISAVNA SAMNIO CEPIT SVBIGNIT OMNE LAVCANA OPSIDESQRE ABDOVCIT, marmo siena base plate, height 9.16 x 6 cm The sarcophagus of Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, Roman consul and victor over the Etruscans at the Battle of Volterra in 298 BC, was first discovered in 1614 in a vineyard along the Via Appia. It was later rediscovered in 1780 as the only intact sarcophagus in the Scipio family burial chamber, which had been the resting place of the patrician family from 300 BC. to 100 AD The sarcophagus became instantly famous and an iconic symbol within the Grand Tour, as exemplified in this sculpted marble miniature. The sarcophagus is now found in the Vestibolo Quadrato, Museo Pio Clementino in the Vatican.

The main text of the inscription reads: “Lucius Cornelius Scipio Barbatus, son of Gnaeus, a brave and wise man, whose beauty was as great as his manhood, was consul, censor and aedile of your country. He conquered Taurasia and Cisauna, in Samnium, and subdued all Lucania, taking back the hostages".