Rome, June 15 - Italy retrieves the looted statue of Emperor Hadrian's wife, Vibia Sabina. To celebrate the important deed there will be a major exhibition at the artwork's new home near Rome.

The statue is one of thirteen looted monuments that the Boston Museum of Fine Arts recently returned to Italy.

The over two-meter tall marble statue is in wonderful condition even though almost 2000 years old, it will be the highlight of the show at Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli that goes from June 16th to November 4th.

The creases of her cloak reveal the shape of her graceful, adult body, while her thoughtful expression conveys a sense of nobility. Experts say the statue was probably made in the period of Sabina's death in 136 or 137 AD.

She was the great niece of Hadrian's friend Trajan, who he succeeded as emperor in 117 AD. Hadrian (76-138 AD) married Sabina around 100 AD, when she was about 14 years of age.

It is held that the couple had problems mainly due to Hadrian's homosexuality and her independent personality.

Some believe that Hadrian poisoned her, although these do not go with the fact that he declared her a goddess after her death.

The exhibition is also devoted to showing the furnishings, art and architectural features of Hadrian's Villa, the largest and richest Imperial Roman villa ever built.

Started soon after Hadrian's installation in 117, was built in a period of 10 years and the emperor showed his architectural skills in paying honor to the most beautiful buildings of his Empire.

Protected by a gorgeous park, the villa is one of the most reminiscent classical sites in Italy and receives thousands of visitors a year.

One of the best-preserved parts is a recreation of the famous statue-lined pool shrine at Canopus in Egypt - a memorial to Hadrian's male-lover Antinoos.

The architectural monuments were connected by pathways and passages - including a subterranean one designed after the classical description of the Underworld - to form a sort of small city, used by Hadrian as a summer court.

The vast site was looted by barbarians and pillaged by later stone-hunters but has still turned up hundreds of artistic treasures since the first excavations in the 16th century