Italy

Capitoline Museums

Capitoline museums will be interesting to lovers of Roman history. The collection is awesome. The buildings were designed by Michelangelo himself and convey all the greatness and style of the Baroque era. It is better to visit museums in the afternoon, when there are not many who want to. Moreover, the exhibits are more expressive in the rays of the setting sun.

Senators Palace from Capitol Square

Capitoline Hill is not high, and the rise to it is almost imperceptible. Upstairs, along the edges of Capitol Square, designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti, there are 3 palaces:

  • Senatorial (Palazzo Senatorio - Palazzo Senatorio),
  • Conservatives (Palazzo dei Conservatori - Palazzo dei Conservatory),
  • New Palace (Palazzo Nuovo - Palazzo Nuovo).

In the days of the Roman Republic, the Temple of Jupiter stood on this place, the walls and foundation of which can be seen under the Conservatives' palace. Today, this monumental complex of palaces, as well as the nearby Palazzo Cafarelli-Clementino, are home to the oldest museum collection in Rome and the oldest public museum in the world - the Capitol Museums (Musei Capitolini).

The Capitoline Complex was founded by Pope Sixtus IV in 1471. The pontiff gave the city a collection of antique bronze sculptures. Among them was the legendary she-wolf who nurtured babies - Romulus and Remus. In the 18th century, Pope Benedict XIV added an art gallery. Subsequent successors further expanded the collection: replenished with archaeological finds, exhibits from the Vatican.

Capitol Square and Cordonate Staircase

The Capitoline Square with its three palaces and the staircase of the Cordonate was designed by the great Michelangelo in the 16th century. In the XVII century the ensemble was built. And in 1734 the Capitoline Museums were opened for them in free access.

On Capitol Square, attention is immediately drawn to the powerful equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. The monument is ancient, created in the II century. True, a bronze copy of it is now installed on the street, and a valuable original is stored in the New Palace, in the hall of Marcus Aurelius.

Senators Palace

View of the Palace of the Senators from Vittoriano

The Palazzo Senatorio today hosts a city council. The exposition of the Capitoline Museums is located in the antique lower part of the palace.

Palace of the Conservatory

The Palazzo dei Conservatori

Capitoline she-wolf (lat.Lupa Capitolina) (XIII century A.D.), the work of the sculptor Antonio del Pollayolo

The Conservatory Palace is given over to works of ancient culture and the Capitoline Pinacoteca art gallery.

On the ground floor are presented: collections of Greek and Etruscan vases, sculptures and sarcophagi, antique mosaics, samples of ancient Roman painting, artifacts from the temple of Jupiter. Famous exhibits: Capitoline she-wolf; Colossus of Constantine; Capitoline Brutus; A boy pulling a splinter; statues of Urban VIII and Innocent X; Hercules from the Bull Forum; Head of jellyfish; Esquiline Venus; Artemis.

In the courtyard are stored the elements of a huge statue of Emperor Constantine: head, brush, fragments of the leg. It is hard to imagine the natural size of a broken colossus. The height of one of his heads is 2.5 meters!

The art gallery is located on the second floor, where works by Italian artists such as Titian, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Guido Reni and others are presented.

Nuovo Palace

Palazzo Nuovo

"Dying Gall" - marble Roman copy from the Pergamon original, photo winninator

Nuovo Palace was built like the Conservatory Palace, located opposite, and was intended specifically for the museum. In its long galleries and atrium you can see the richest collection of antique Greek and Roman sculptures. The most significant of them are: a collection of busts of 65 Roman emperors around the statue of seated Elena; Dying gall; Venus Capitoline (Roman copy); The wounded Amazon. In the courtyard is the Marforia Fountain.

In the Palazzo Nuovo Palace, photo by Richard Mortel

From the underpass between the palaces you can go to the open gallery. From there, a stunning view of the Imperial Forums.

Cafarelli-Clementino Palace

The Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino hosts temporary exhibitions and collections of numismatists: rare coins, gems, orders and medals.

Museums Opening Hours

Open daily from 09:00 to 19:30
December 24 and 31 from 9:30 to 14:00.
January 1, May 1, December 25 - closed.

Tickets

Complex ticket - € 15.00 (New Palace, palaces of Senators, Conservatives, Cafarelli-Clementino and Tabularia);
preferential - € 13.00.

How to get there

Capitoline Museums are within walking distance of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Venice Square.
You can take metro line B to Colosseo Station;
by bus: 30, 51, 81, 83, 85, 87, 118, 160, 170, 628, 810 - to Ara Coeli-Piazza Venezia;
by tram 8 to the final stop of Venezia.

How do I save on hotels?

Everything is very simple - look not only at the booking. I prefer the search engine RoomGuru. He is looking for discounts at the same time on Booking and on 70 other booking sites.

Watch the video: Rome, Italy: Capitoline Museums (November 2024).

Popular Posts

Category Italy, Next Article

Boboli Gardens in Florence
Florence

Boboli Gardens in Florence

Once in Florence, you will undoubtedly immerse yourself in the tourist bustle of this beautiful city. And if you want to pause, not looking up from visiting numerous attractions, visit the Boboli Gardens (Italian: Giardino di Boboli). This is a unique park located just behind the Pitti Palace, which served as the residence of the Medici family.
Read More
How to spend one day in Florence as interesting as possible?
Florence

How to spend one day in Florence as interesting as possible?

Of course, one day in Florence is very small, and we recommend spending at least 2-3 days here. But how to spend this day as efficiently and interestingly as possible? Consider the real situation and plan from my practice, for example, a trip from Rome to Florence for one day. Imagine that you are relaxing in Rome, you have a hotel or apartment booked there, and having looked at the main attractions of the Eternal City, you want to get to know Florence.
Read More
Vasari Corridor in Florence
Florence

Vasari Corridor in Florence

The Corridoio Vasariano is a world-famous gallery between the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Pitti in the center of the historical part of Florence (Firenze). The history of the construction The 750-meter-long gallery appeared at the behest of the Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo I of Medici in 1565. The purpose of the construction was to connect the house on the west bank of the river, where the Medici family lived, with the Palazzo Vecchio, in which the Toscana government was located, by secret passage.
Read More
Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence
Florence

Ponte Vecchio Bridge in Florence

One of the main attractions of Florence can safely be called the Ponte Vecchio bridge (Ponte Vecchio), which is translated from Italian as "Old Bridge". This is not just a ferry from one bank of Arno to the other, but also a unique architectural monument that has not changed much since the 14th century. History The reason for the construction of the bridge in this place is the minimum width of the Arno River.
Read More