In 1906, during excavations to clear space for the foundations of the building that now plays host to Hotel Medici, the statue of the Niobid was discovered.
Hit in the shoulder by an arrow during the slaughter inflicted on the children of Niobe by Apollo and Artemis, this young woman falls down on one knee and, as she struggles in desperation to pull out the arrow, her cloak slips off, leaving a large part of her body exposed.
The statue, which dates from the 5th century BC, can today be seen in the National Roman Museum at the Baths of Diocletian, which also houses Roman statues of Apollo and Aphrodite, as well as numerous portraits, paintings, stuccos and mosaics.