The Capitoline Museums of Rome

Along with the Vatican Museums, the Capital Museums of Rome are considered the most important in the Italian capital and are also the oldest public museums in the world. 

Located in the heart of Rome, the two palaces that make up the museum offer visitors a huge collection of Roman sculptural and pictorial works exhibited to the delight of art lovers. An essential visit for all those who land in the Italian capital. 

History of the Capitoline Museums

The creation of the Capitoline Museums began with the donation of a collection of bronzes from Pope Sixtus IV in 1471 and with time an outstanding art gallery was added by the work of Pope Benedict XIV. In addition, the archaeological pieces that are discovered in the excavations carried out in the country are also displayed here.

The museum is made up of two spectacular buildings located in the Piazza del Campidoglio: the Palace of the Conservatives (Palazzo dei Conservatori) and the New Palace (Palazzo Nuovo). Both buildings are linked by an underpass called Galleria Lapidaria, which crosses the Plaza del Campidoglio without having to leave them.

Palace of the Conservatives

It was opened to the public in 1734, almost a hundred years after the commission made by Pope Clement XII, and owes its name to the fact that in the early Middle Ages the building was the seat of the city's elective magistracy. the Conservatori dell'Urbe, which together with the Senate administered Rome.

Regarding culture, the Palace of the Conservatives has a complete gallery that includes famous paintings by artists of the stature of Titian, Caravaggio, Tintoretto and Rubens in addition to a vast collection of busts of famous people.

One of the most outstanding areas of the Palace of the Conservatives is a room covered by glass in which the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius is exposed, while the copy is exhibited in the Plaza del Campidoglio, in addition to the fragments of some huge statues that they are conserved.

Another of its main tourist attractions is the original figure of the Capitoline She-wolf, although you can also see works such as the Ritratto di Carlo I d'Angiò by Arnolfo di Cambio, made in 1277, of great value as it is the first sculpted portrait of a alive character.

New Palace

The New Palace is dedicated to the exhibition of most of the sculptural works in the collection of the Capital Museums, almost all of them Roman copies of Greek originals. Among the best works in the museum is the Venus Capitolina, a sculpture made of marble and made between 100 and 150 AD, although you can also see other works known as the image of the dying Galata or The Discobolo.

If we go into the philosophers' room, we can see the impressive busts of the main characters of ancient Greece, which used to decorate the libraries and gardens of the wealthiest people.

The remains of a large statue of Emperor Constantine the Great are preserved in the courtyard of the New Palace. Only his head is eight feet long. The pieces that are kept were carved in marble and it is believed that the body of the figure was made of brick and covered with bronze.

Outstanding works of the Capitoline Museums

• Capitoline Wolf: represents the she-wolf that fed the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. It is made of bronze.
• Bust of Medusa: Sculpturework by Gian Lorenzo Bernini made between 1644-1648.
• Statue of the Capitoline Venus: marble statue of the goddess Venus emerging from the bath naked.
• The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius made in bronze in 176 AD
• Espinario: bronze sculpture that represents a child removing a thorn from his foot. It is one of the most famous pieces of the Renaissance.

Price and schedule of the Capitoline Museums

The price of tickets to the Capitoline Museums is 14 euros for adults and 12 euros for citizens of the European Union between 18 and 25 years old. There is also the option of paying an entrance fee of 50 euros for a guided tour of the museums and their surroundings.

Regarding the schedule, the Capitoline Museums are open from Tuesday to Sunday: from 9:30 a.m. to 19:30 p.m.