This great Etruscan work, attributed to Vulca, will be back on display on 16 July in the Etruscan Museum, Villa Giulia, after its first major cleaning since it was excavated in 1916 near Veio, close to Rome.

The terracotta statue, which is 1.80 m high, has undergone intensive tests to reveal where its clay came from, the temperature at which it was fired and the minerals used for the decorative paint. The cleaning has brought to light the statues original colours, black for the long curled hair, a violet red for the skin and ochre for the tunic.

The serene-faced Apollo was part of a group of sixth century BC statues which stood on the roof of a temple dedicated to Minerva.

Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia, Piazza Villa Giulia 9, tel. 06 3226571. 08.30 -19.30, Mon closed.