Starting June 20, 2026, Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome opens the exhibition “Panopliæ: Weapons, Ingenuity, and Power at Castel Sant’Angelo,” dedicated to historical weapons from the museum’s collections, and reopens the Farnese Galleries with a new layout evoking a Renaissance papal apartment. Curated by Luca Mercuri and Mario Scalini, the exhibition showcases artifacts long kept in storage, including Corinthian helmets, Renaissance armor, and firearms, with highlights such as a helmet attributed to Roberto Sanseverino and a suit of armor for Giovan Carlo de’ Medici reunited through a loan from the Bargello National Museum.
The exhibition matters because it restores a historical function to the castle—displaying weapons in the original Armory spaces—and brings significant but overlooked collections back to public view after extensive restoration. It also underscores Castel Sant’Angelo’s layered history as a mausoleum, fortress, papal residence, and museum, while offering new insights into Italian military and artistic heritage through reunified artifacts and thematic galleries.