The Etruscan Liver from Piacenza on Display at the Legion of Honor in

The Etruscan Liver from Piacenza travels to San Francisco

For the first time since its 1877 discovery, the small but historically significant bronze known as the Piacenza Liver has left the Civic Museums of Palazzo Farnese to join an international exhibition. The artifact will be part of The Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy at the Legion of Honor Museum.

• Exhibition dates: from May 2 to September 20, 2026.
• Departure from Piacenza: April 24, 2026; expected return in September 2026.
• Size: 126 x 76 x 60 mm; weight approx. 635 g.
• Material and dating: bronze, late 2nd–early 1st century BCE.
• Courier: the museum director accompanied the object as a museum courier.

The transfer was carried out with strict conservation and security measures: the artifact was placed in a rigid, climate-controlled case, fixed within a custody chain, and escorted by armed security to the airport. These precautions address both mechanical risks (protection from shocks and abrupt movements) and microclimatic stability (temperature and humidity control), essential for a metal object with a long conservation history.

The Piacenza Liver is an epatoscopic model used by haruspices to read omens from animal livers: its incised surface divides the organ into named regions linked to divine and celestial spheres. Although its accidental discovery in Gossolengo in 1877 deprived researchers of stratigraphic context, the bronze remains a key source for understanding Etruscan religious practice.

The San Francisco exhibition frames the liver within a broad presentation of Etruscan culture, juxtaposing it with sacred bronzes, texts and ritual materials to highlight both the religious and technical aspects of the civilization. The loan illustrates Palazzo Farnese’s strategy to place local heritage within major international research and display projects.

Visitor information: the presence of the liver in this international exhibition is a rare opportunity for the public and scholars. Detailed interpretation and scholarly documentation are available within the exhibition and its accompanying catalogue.