Capitoline Museums, Rome, Rome Overview

Located on the top of Capitoline Hill, Capitoline Museums is a group of museums in Rome consisting of archaeological and art museums. The museums date back to the late 15th century when it started with a small collection of bronze statues donated by Pope Sixtus IV. Visitors get to check out a large collection of exhibits that were either donated or collected over the years. Capitoline Museums is one of the most recommended attractions for tourists to get insights into ancient Roman art and archaeology.

Capitoline Museums consist of four different buildings surrounding a piazza or square on top of the Capitoline Hill. Three of the four buildings are interlinked by an underground gallery that runs underneath the square. The buildings are called Palazzo Senatorio, Palazzo de Conservatori, and Palazzo Nuovo. The fourth building is a more recent addition to the group of museums and is called Palazzo Caffarelli – Clementino. It became a part of the attraction only in the 20th century.

The Four Capitoline Museums

Palazzo Senatorio is a 12th-century building, the oldest in the museum complex. Here, visitors can check out the staircase, the facades and the fountains representing the Gods of River Nile and River Tiber, all designed by Michelangelo. The building also houses a late-16th century bell tower designed by Martino Longhi and some parts of the facade designed by Girolamo Rainaldi and Giacomo Della Porta.

Palazzo de Conservatori is a three-story building that was built in the 16th century. It houses an impressive collection of Roman, Greek and Egyptian Sculptures, the famous statue of the she-wolf nursing twin brothers Romulus and Remus, an art gallery with paintings, coins, jewellery, etc.

Palazzo Nuovo is a two-storey 17th-century building. Here, visitors can find another collection of statues, busts, sarcophagi, mosaics and inscriptions. Famous works of art like the statues of Cupid and Psyche, Dying Gaul, Capitoline Venus, Oceanus and a part of the Tabula Iliaca can be found in this building.

The fourth building was actually used to safeguard the collection of artefacts while the museums were undergoing repairs and renovation. However, it continues to house a large collection of ancient archaeological artefacts and artworks. The gallery that extends underneath the square/ piazza, connecting the three main buildings exhibits the 2nd-century ruins and a collection of epigraphs.

How to Reach Capitoline Museums

Capitoline Museums is located on Capitoline Hill, close to the city centre (2.5 kilometres approximately). Public transport is easily available to commute to the attraction of any part of the city. People can choose to take a train, bus, taxi, tram or metro depending on their convenience.

Those who prefer the roadways can take the route Via Nazionale – Piazza Venezia. Taxis can be taken till the bottom of Capitoline Hill. Buses usually stop at Piazza Venezia. From here, travellers can walk to the museums.

The closest metro lines pass through Metro Colosseo and Metro Cavour located at 2.5 kilometres and 3 kilometres away respectively. From the drop points, travellers can hire a taxi or take a bus or tram to reach Piazza Venezia.