An exhibition featuring ancient Italian culture opened here on July 18 in this eastern Chinese metropolis.

"The World of Etruscans" is the first foreign exhibition held in China since the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic.

Etruscan culture began in AD 800 in northern and central parts of the Apennine peninsula, bequeathing Roman numerals, architectural technologies and wine production technologies to the Roman and European cultures.

The exhibition, jointly held by the Shanghai Museum and the Superintendence for Archaeological Heritage of Tuscany, Italy, began some two months later than its original schedule due to the spread of SARS.

A total of 349 cultural and archeological items, including pottery, bronze-ware, golden plates, silverware and stone coffins,are on display at the exhibition, mainly contributed by the National Museum of Archaeology, Florence.

One of the exhibits is a double-blade iron ax, which is called Fasci, a derivation of the word "Fascism".

(Xinhua News Agency July 22, 2003)