Vatican Museums

The so-called “Armoured warrior” aroused considerable interest because of its singularity from the moment of its discovery in the votive deposit of Valle Fuino, near Cascia, which had been revealed as a result of a landslide following the storm that struck the area on 30 June 1794. Indeed, the warrior wears a helmet with a long, tall crest, his face is covered by the facial mask that forms a single piece along with the helmet, and his upper body is armoured with a leather breastplate. His distinctive and unusual clothing has led recent scholars to suggest that the bronze statuette, which dates from the third quarter of the fifth century B.C., may represent a dancer of the pirricae, a ritual dance to ensure territorial defence.