When a chasm opened in the Forum that the Romans were unable to fill, they consulted a priest, who declared that the gods demanded as a sacrifice Rome’s most precious possession. A young soldier, Marcus Curtius, then stepped forward, proclaiming as the true treasures of Rome the courage of its citizens, the strength of its arms and the military valour that had made the city great. Without hesitation he took up his weapons, mounted his horse and hurled himself into the abyss before the eyes of the people.

According to the legend, as soon as the horse and rider disappeared into the chasm, the gulf closed up, sealing their sacrifice forever and saving Rome.

The inscription «Pr[e]cipitai qua drento, co[n] me fama (?), / Sapendo Certo la morte aquistar[e] / per liberar mia sco[n]solata Roma» may be translated as: “I hurled myself down in here, and with me my fame, knowing with certainty that I was going to meet death in order to free my desolate Rome.”

The reverse of the dish, decorated in lustre with stylized vegetal motifs, is dated 1539.

An example of exceptional importance for its quality, rarity and documentation, the dish embodies the fusion of art, erudition and historical memory that defines Renaissance istoriato maiolica, and it stands as a work worthy of display in a major museum, not only for its technical refinement but also for its symbolic power and the complex history it contains.