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Venus of Savignano

Venus of Savignano is a Paleolithic female figurine discovered in Italy. Made of yellow-green serpentinite, it measures 22.5 cm long, 4.8 cm wide, and 5.2 cm thick. The sculpture shows a schematic female form with clearly marked breasts, belly, and buttocks, delicately indicated arms, and no feet; its head is replaced by a conical end. It was found in 1925 in Savignano sul Panaro, in the province of Modena, by Olindo Zambelli while digging foundations for an outbuilding. Later purchased by Giuseppe Graziosi, it is now in the collections of the Museo nazionale preistorico etnografico Luigi Pigorini in Rome. Its exact date is unknown, but it is attributed to the Gravettian or Epi-Gravettian culture.

Venus of Savignano stone figurine with a stylized female torso on a stand.
The Venus of Savignano, a carved stone figurine with emphasized female form, displayed on a stand.
February 2025 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Venus of Savignano stone figurine with an elongated, rough-carved form and rounded body features.
The Venus of Savignano, shown as a rough-carved stone figurine with an elongated form and rounded female features.
February 2025 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Venus of Savignano stone figurine with rounded breasts, belly, and hips against a black background
The Venus of Savignano is shown in a close view, highlighting its rounded carved form and mottled stone surface.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Venus of Savignano stone figurine with a mottled yellow-green surface and rounded central forms
The Venus of Savignano, shown here as an elongated stone figurine with a mottled yellow-green surface.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Venus of Savignano stone figurine shown upright in a small holder.
The Venus of Savignano displayed upright in a small holder.
February 2025 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleVenus of Savignano
Original nameVenere di Savignano
TypePaleolithic Venus figurine

Historical context

PeriodUpper Paleolithic
Cultural attributionGravettian or Epigravettian
Estimated dateProbably 25,000–20,000 years ago; some scholars have dated it to about 29,000 years ago

Discovery and provenance

Discovery date1925
Discovery locationPra’ Martino, near Mulino, Savignano sul Panaro, Province of Modena, Italy
DiscovererOlindo Zambelli
Discovery contextFound during construction work for a rural building, about 1 meter below ground in alluvial/clayey deposits with no archaeological context
Initial treatment after discoveryZambelli cleaned and kept the statuette despite his wife's advice to throw it away
Acquired byGiuseppe Graziosi
Acquisition detailsGraziosi obtained it from Zambelli in exchange for two hundred kilograms of grapes
DonationDonated by Giuseppe Graziosi to the Pigorini Museum in 1926
Findspot interpretationProbably the original place of deposition; no traces of river transport were observed

Physical characteristics

Weight586.5 g
DimensionsHeight 22.5 cm; width 4.8 cm; depth/thickness 5.2 cm

Materials

MaterialSerpentinite (serpentine/greenstone)

Appearance

Depicted figureStylized female figure
FeaturesClearly marked breasts, belly, buttocks, and thighs; lightly outlined arms; no feet; cone-shaped termination instead of a head
ModelingStrong sculptural modeling

Location and ownership

Current locationMuseo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico "Luigi Pigorini", Rome
Inventory number106610
Temporary loanLoaned to Savignano sul Panaro from 5 April to 4 May 2014 for the project "Savignano, Città dell'Archeologia"
Replica locationMuseo della Venere e dell'Elefante, Savignano sul Panaro

History and restoration

Dating historyThe dating was disputed from the beginning; it was first considered Neolithic, then later attributed to the Upper Paleolithic on stylistic grounds
Basis for later datingStylistic comparisons with other Venus figurines, especially those from Balzi Rossi and other Gravettian examples
Early studiesStudied by Paolo Graziosi and Ugo Antonielli; early publications appeared between 1925 and 1928

Significance

ImportanceOne of the largest known Venus figurines; considered one of the earliest expressions of art in Italy
Comparative contextAmong about 190 Venus figurines from the Upper Paleolithic of Europe and Siberia

Other

Associated noteThe figurine was cleaned after discovery, which destroyed organic traces that could have supported standard dating methods