The major exhibition revealing the ancient roots of modern superheroes
Hercules and Superman. Mercury and Flash.
The Amazons and Wonder Woman.
This exhibition is built on a premise that is as simple as it is revolutionary: superheroes are not a twentieth-century invention. They are the direct heirs of a millennia-old narrative tradition—Greek and Roman mythology—which, for over two thousand years, has told stories of extraordinary power, moral responsibility, and human redemption.
Born in the pages of American comic books starting in the 1930s, these characters carry with them a cultural legacy rooted in antiquity. SUPERHEROES. The Origins of the Myth brings this legacy to the surface, making it visible and accessible through a language open to all.
The exhibition path
The exhibition unfolds across twelve sections that weave together history, archaeology, art, and pop culture.
It begins with a direct comparison between Hercules and Superman, then expands into a global perspective: every civilisation—from Japan to Australia, from India to Africa—has its own superheroes, deeply rooted in local cultural and value systems.
The central sections explore mythological transformations: how the gods of Olympus evolved into comic book characters while preserving their iconographic attributes, symbolic meanings, and narrative tensions. Reproductions of archaeological artefacts are placed in dialogue with American and Italian comic books, posters, action figures, statues, and dolls, in an exhibition design that balances scientific rigour with immersive storytelling.
The exhibition also highlights the history of comic publishing, with a graphic timeline spanning from the 1930s to 2026, alongside the work of the great artists who shaped the visual identity of superheroes. It further explores the influence of these characters on television, pop and rock music, and social debate: comic books—often ahead of other media—have addressed themes such as drug use, alcoholism, domestic violence, and civil rights.
Experiential sets and video projections complete the journey, offering visitors the chance to literally step into the world of superheroes.
An exhibition for everyone
SUPERHEROES. The Origins of the Myth is designed for an intergenerational audience.
Here, comics and the superhero universe become a powerful gateway for engaging younger audiences (and beyond) with history, archaeology, and art history, through a direct, engaging, and educationally effective language.
The exhibition offers a valuable opportunity for schools, collectors, pop culture enthusiasts, and anyone interested in discovering how the great stories of humanity are, ultimately, connected by a single, continuous thread.
SUPERHEROES. The Origins of the Myth
Castello di Novara
8 May – 27 September 2026
Opening hours: Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00–19:00 (last admission one hour before closing)
Tickets:
Full price: €10
Reduced: €8 (ages 15–26, over 65, companions of visitors with disabilities, partners)
Youth: €6 (ages 6–14)
Schools and groups: €5 (groups of at least 10 people)
Free: children under 6, visitors with disabilities, selected partners
Information and bookings:
Tel. +39 0321 1855421
Email: biglietteria@ilcastellodinovara.it