Capitoline Wolf in the Palazzo Nuovo, Rome

This Etruscan bronze statue of a she-wolf was cast in the 5th century BC. The figures of the two boys were added in the 15th century. The she-wolf was a powerful motif in Roman culture since according to myth Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus  who were suckled by a wolf after being abandoned as babies. There are numerous references in ancient texts to statues of wolves on the Capitol. Cicero recalls that one such statute was damaged by lightening in 65 BC. This particular statue survived the Middle Ages in the Lateran Palace; the others were probably melted down for their bronze. The Capitoline Wolf has been housed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori since 1473.

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