Miramare rediscovers Egypt: Archduke Maximilian’s collection returns to Trieste

Miramare rediscovers ancient Egypt

From 2 April to 1 November 2026, the Scuderie of Miramare Castle in Trieste host the exhibition "Una Sfinge l’attrae. Massimiliano d’Asburgo e le collezioni egizie tra Trieste e Vienna", bringing back a selection of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian’s Egyptian collection. The show features more than one hundred objects loaned by the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the Civic Museum of Antiquities J. J. Winckelmann in Trieste.

The exhibition retraces the development of the Archduke’s collection—from early purchases in the 1850s to major acquisition campaigns and unrealized museum projects—highlighting how private taste and scientific interest shaped 19th-century collecting practices.

Highlights and themes

Displayed items include ceramics, stelae, sculptural fragments and other finds that illustrate the local and international networks of acquisition. The layout combines historical narrative and museum interpretation to explain acquisition phases and the collector’s aims.

• Dates: 2 April – 1 November 2026
• Venue: Scuderie, Miramare Castle, Trieste
• Works on display: over 100 artifacts from Vienna and the Winckelmann collection
• Curators: Massimo Osanna, Christian Greco, Cäcilia Bischoff and Michaela Hüttner
• Organisers: Museo storico e Parco del Castello di Miramare in collaboration with the Kunsthistorisches Museum; produced by MondoMostre and CoopCulture

Educational activities and cultural impact

The exhibition is accompanied by an educational program for schools with hands-on workshops and guided paths designed to engage students with Egyptian symbols, myths and material culture. The project underlines the role of institutional collaboration in conserving and making accessible shared heritage.

Visiting this exhibition offers insight into how a 19th-century private collection contributed to public museum formation and the advancement of Egyptological studies. For practical information on opening hours and tickets, consult the official channels of Miramare Castle.