Capitoline Museums

The Capitoline Museums are often described as the oldest public museums in the world. Their origins lie in 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV gave a group of ancient bronzes to the people of Rome, and they opened to the public in 1734. They occupy Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, which face each other across Piazza del Campidoglio on the Capitoline Hill, a square redesigned by Michelangelo with its geometric paving and grand ramped staircase, the Cordonata.

The collections focus on the art and history of Rome itself. In Palazzo dei Conservatori you will find the bronze Capitoline Wolf, the Spinario, a bronze boy pulling a thorn from his foot, and the colossal head, hand and foot of a statue of Constantine in the courtyard. A glass-roofed hall shelters the original gilded bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, whose copy stands in the square outside, along with the remains of the Temple of Jupiter. The picture gallery holds paintings by Caravaggio, Titian and Guercino. In Palazzo Nuovo, the Dying Gaul and the Capitoline Venus are among the best-known ancient marbles.

An underground gallery links the two palaces and passes through the Tabularium, the ancient public records office, where a window frames a view over the whole of the Roman Forum. It is one of the best viewpoints over the ruins, and many visitors find it a highlight of the visit.

The museums open every day from 9:30 to 19:30, with last admission one hour before closing. They are closed on 1 May and 25 December, and close at 14:00 on 24 and 31 December. The call centre on 060608 answers daily from 9:00 to 19:00, and enquiries can also be sent to [email protected]. Because they stay open later than the archaeological sites, the museums are a good choice for the late afternoon after a morning at the Colosseum and Forum.

Allow two to three hours. The museums suit anyone interested in ancient Rome, and the sculptures and the Forum view work well for older children. Climb the Cordonata from Piazza Venezia to arrive as Michelangelo intended. The Vittoriano monument is next door, and the Forum and the Theatre of Marcellus are both a short walk downhill.