Tourists coming to Rome have an extra six weeks to see the legendary Torlonia Marbles.

Rome's Torlonia Marbles exhibition has been extended until 27 February 2022, organisers announced today, just days before the blockbuster show had been due to end.

The Torlonia Marbles: Collecting Masterpieces, one of Italy's most eagerly-awaited exhibitions in living memory, was hampered by extended closures and delays - as a result of covid-19 restrictions - after it opened in October 2020.

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Rome residents and tourists now have an extra six weeks in which to see the revered "collection of collections" which has been largely hidden away for more than 70 years.

Considered among the world's most important private collections of Greek-Roman classical art, the Torlonia Collection comprises a total of 620 ancient sculptures.

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Amassed between the 15th- and 19th centuries by the aristocratic Torlonia family, the collection includes marble, bronze and alabaster statues, busts, bas-reliefs and sarcophagi dating to the ancient Roman era.

Now, until 27 February 2022, visitors can admire more than 90 pieces from the priceless collection at Villa Caffarelli, a newly-restored exhibition space in Rome's Capitoline Museums.