Rome 1960 Olympic Poster

For the Rome 1960 Olympic Games poster, Armando Testa (1917-1992), a renowned Italian graphic designer, was inspired by the ‘Belvedere capital’. A capital is the upper part of a column and the so-called ‘Belvedere’ was originally found in the baths of Emperor Caracalla in Rome (3rd century CE).

The scene on the capital consists of an athlete crowning himself with his right hand while holding the palm leaf of victory in his left following Roman custom. He is surrounded by a few athletes with crowns, also a symbol of victory.

On top of the capital, the sculpture of the ‘Capitoline Wolf’ is depicted, dating back to the sixth century BCE. It represents the myth of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, who were saved and fed by a she-wolf when infants.

With the Olympic rings and the references to the 1960 Games, the poster links ancient and modern Rome as well as culture and sports.