Where Is Riace Warrior A? Museum Location

Q: Where are the Riace Warriors?

Both warriors are at the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio Calabria, Italy. They were found in the sea off the Italian coast in 1972.

Q: How were they discovered?

A scuba diver named Stefano Mariottini found them in 1972, about 200 meters offshore in 8 meters of water. The discovery was one of the century's most important archaeological finds.

Q: How big is Riace Warrior A?

The bronze stands 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) tall. The heroic scale and idealized anatomy represent Greek ideals of the perfect male body.

Q: Why are original Greek bronzes rare?

Most ancient bronzes were melted for reuse in later periods. These statues survived only because they sank in a shipwreck, hiding them for over two millennia.

Ancient Greek Riace Warrior A is one of two monumental Greek bronzes discovered by a scuba diver off the coast of Calabria in 1972. Created around 450 BCE, the 198-centimeter figure depicts a bearded warrior in the prime of life, his idealized musculature representing the classical Greek concept of the heroic male body. The statue's survival as an original Greek bronze makes it extraordinarily rare.

The warrior originally held a shield and spear, his eyes were inlaid with bone and glass, and his lips and nipples were highlighted with copper. The relaxed contrapposto pose and naturalistic anatomy represent the Early Classical "Severe Style" at its peak. Scholars debate whether the statues depict heroes, gods, or commemorated real warriors.

Both Riace Warriors are displayed at the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio Calabria.

Both warriors are at the Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia in Reggio Calabria, Italy. They were found in the sea off the Italian coast in 1972.

A scuba diver named Stefano Mariottini found them in 1972, about 200 meters offshore in 8 meters of water. The discovery was one of the century's most important archaeological finds.

The bronze stands 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) tall. The heroic scale and idealized anatomy represent Greek ideals of the perfect male body.

Most ancient bronzes were melted for reuse in later periods. These statues survived only because they sank in a shipwreck, hiding them for over two millennia.

Riace Warrior A

Details

Where to See It

The Artist

Riace Warrior Series by Ancient Greek (Unknown)

Riace Warrior B

More by Ancient Greek (Unknown)

Lion felling a bull, from a marble pediment

Marble statue of a lion

Fragment of a Funerary Naiskos (Monument in the Shape of a Temple)

Marble Statue of a Kouros (Youth)

Also at Museo Nazionale della Magna Grecia

Riace Warrior B

About Riace Warrior A

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