After 143 years: Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian’s Egyptian collection returns to Trieste

After 143 years: the Egyptian collection of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian returns to Miramare

A significant portion of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian of Austria’s Egyptian collection is back in Trieste. Housed in the Stables of Miramare Castle, the exhibition reconstructs the history of nineteenth-century collecting that combined private taste, scholarly interest and public-minded ambitions.

The display features more than one hundred objects, mainly on loan from the Egyptian-Oriental Collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, together with works from the Miramare historical collection and the Civic Museum of Antiquities J. J. Winckelmann in Trieste. The exhibition explores how the collection was assembled and the archduke’s view of collections as tools for research and preservation.

• Exhibition title: "Una Sfinge l’attrae. Massimiliano d’Asburgo e le collezioni egizie tra Trieste e Vienna"
• Venue: Stables of Miramare Castle, Trieste
• Dates: from April 2 to November 1, 2026
• Curators and scientific partners: Massimo Osanna, Christian Greco, Cäcilia Bischoff, Michaela Hüttner; scientific contribution from the Museo Egizio of Turin

The route through the exhibition is designed to show the objects within their historical context: acquisition methods, the diplomatic and commercial networks of the nineteenth century, and the emergence of the museum as a public institution for conservation and study.

Key themes include:

• The phases of the collection’s formation and the archduke’s purchase campaigns
• The interplay between private collecting and institutional museums
• The scientific role of antiquities collections in the nineteenth century

An educational programme for schools of all levels accompanies the exhibition, offering hands-on workshops, storytelling, guided exploration and laboratory activities to introduce students to ancient Egypt and museum practice.

The exhibition is organized by the Miramare Castle Historical Museum and Park in collaboration with the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna, produced by MondoMostre and CoopCulture, with support from the Municipality of Trieste and PromoTurismoFVG.

Practical information, opening hours and booking procedures are available from the Miramare historical museum and its official communication channels.