The exhibition “Orient-Express & Co. Journey of a Modern Myth” brings together over 200 artifacts that place the Orient Express in its global historical context. These include photographic evidence as well as period plans, maps, technical drawings, and advertising posters. Beyond the myth, the exhibition reveals the entire engineering marvel behind a luxury train made possible by an impressive network of workshops and services (laundries, cabinetmakers, boilermakers, etc.).
One Train Can Hide Another
Alongside the Orient Express, the Rome Express is one of the most prestigious trains of the Compagnie des Wagons-Lits. Launched in December 1883, it initially connected Paris to Rome, first along the French Riviera and then through the Italian Rivieras of Ponant and Levant. This alternative vision of luxury transportation is presented at the Villa Medici, with archives and photographs documenting this Franco-Italian railway adventure.
This exhibition brings together documents of various types from the following sources:
- The Orient-Express Endowment Fund
- The Pierre de Gigord Paris Collection
- The Archives and Documentation Service of the SNCF Group (SARDO)
- The Ministry of Culture, Médiathèque de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine
- The Fondazione FS Italiane
