15 Museums In Rome, Italy: Guide To The Best Art & History Collections
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Are you looking for the best museums in Rome, Italy? I got you covered! I visited Rome a number of times and visited various museums during my visit. I will share with you the best museums in Rome that I recommend including in your itinerary when visiting the Eternal City.
Rome has so many art museums that it might take a lifetime to see them all. In fact, the Italian capital is home to hundreds of museums, including the Vatican and those run by the State, the City of Rome, and still owned by Rome’s noble families. I wrote another article here about the best things to do in Rome, to know more about the Eternal City.
You can appreciate ancient to contemporary art in Rome; it just depends on your personal preferences and where you want to go. Here is a list of the top art museums in Rome to aid you in choosing which ones to visit.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Capitolini Museum at Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome Italy
The Musei Capitolini, perched on Rome’s Capitoline Hill, is regarded as one of the first museums in history. One of the most distinctive museums in Rome, it houses artifacts from earlier times as well as archaeological finds from the city and its surroundings. Some of the collections go all the way back to 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV gave the people of Rome a sizable collection of bronze statues.
As the museum expanded and received countless works of art, Pope Clement XII proclaimed it open to the public in 1734. The museum has one of the best views of the Roman Forum in addition to its amazing and breathtaking collection of medieval and Renaissance artwork, ornate frescoes, and ancient Roman marble and bronze statues.
Roman artifacts from antiquity predominate here, with a few pieces from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. features of antiquity include:
One of the oldest pieces in the collection, a She-Wolffrom the 5th century BC, quickly became the official symbol of Rome.
The bust of Commodus as Hercules, a sculpture from the second century, is a unique discovery because many images of Commodus were destroyed after his reign as emperor.
The Dying Gaul, a sculpture from the first or second century, is another that is sure to astound you. An early painting shows the defeat of a Roman foe. Despite being studied for its historical significance, it is impressive for the emotion it captures at such a young age in art history.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Art
Moving on to the scene for contemporary art, MAXXI is a must-see for any enthusiast traveling to Rome.
This museum, which was established in 2010, is marketed as Rome’s first museum devoted to “contemporary creativity.” Maxxi resides in a concrete and steel structure created by renowned architect Zaha Hadid. The museum may be more well-known for its architecture than for its artwork, similar to the Guggenheim Bilbao in Spain. In 2010, the Royal Institute of British Architects awarded it the Stirling Prize.
But this is the place to go if you want to see more contemporary art. In Rome, there aren’t many places where you can see cutting-edge work. There is no ongoing repository. Workshops, performances, and temporary exhibitions are held at the museum. The museum website must be visited to find out what is on display at any given time.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: National Etruscan Museum of Villa Giulia in Rome Italy
A true hidden gem in Rome, the Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giuli is located in the Villa Giulia and is regarded as one of the best museums in Rome for people who are interested in history. It is possible to visit both museums in a single day because the Borghese Gallery is only a short distance away.
Pope Julius III commissioned the construction of the villa so that he could have a place to relax and unwind. There were a number of architects involved, and Michelangelo provided some guidance regarding the design.
This museum is perfect for you if you are interested in the history of ancient Rome or the Etruscan people, who flourished around 600 B.C. This collection is unparalleled to any other of its kind anywhere in the world.
The exquisite pieces of gold jewellery, the sarcophagus of the spouses (which is an exact replica of the one in the Louvre), and the Pyrgi Tablets are some of the highlights of the exhibit. A temple from Etruria that has been reconstructed can be found on the grounds of the villa.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Borghese Gallery and Museum in Rome Italy
The aristocratic Borghese family’s Villa, which has the same name-brand park surrounding it, houses their private collection. Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V, initiated the collection.
Italian masters like Bernini, Caravaggio, and Titian as well as foreign artists like Rubens were favorites of Scipione Borghese. It is abundant in Renaissance, Baroque, and ancient Roman art. Major pieces by famous artists like Bernini, Titian, Caravaggio, Raphael, Rubens, and Canova grace its walls.
There are so many wonderful pieces of art in this collection, but these are the ones you must see:
The Rape of Persephone and Apollo and Daphne are two examples (Bernini). Both works demonstrate Bernini’s skill with stone. He creates such minute details, like the soft skin imprints left by a hand holding Persephone’s leg and Daphne’s transformation from a human to a tree.
Madonna and Child with St. Anne (Caravaggio). It’s fascinating to observe how Caravaggio used extreme lighting to portray religious figures in novel ways.
Sacred and Profane Love (Titian). This is a classic illustration of the use of background and attention to even the smallest details in a painting.
5. National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome Italy
The National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome was established in 1883 to house the contemporary artworks of the newly united Italian state. Up until 1915, the gallery was housed in the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. Italian contemporary and modern art is still on view after the collections were transferred to the Palace of Fine Arts.
Over 5,000 paintings and sculptures from the neoclassical era to abstract pieces from the 1960s can be found in the museum’s collection. The enormous halls that house the permanent exhibitions, which feature works of art by well-known artists, are very interesting.
In contrast to other museums of modern art, The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna has a sizable collection of modern art, including many works by well-known artists. Undoubtedly a very interesting museum, it features a variety of art movements.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi in Rome Italy
The local history, culture, and artwork of Rome from the Middle Ages to the 20th century are the focus of the Museo di Roma, which is housed in the Palazzo Braschi.
A vast and diverse collection of thousands of works of art, including paintings, sculptures, furniture, clothing, ceramics, photographs, and some architectural components, are on display at the Museo di Roma. These works of art all depict the local history and Italian traditions. There are only a few of each element in the museum.
There is a collection of Pope Pius VI’s era artwork, including portraits of the members of the papal household, on the ground floor. Paintings, sculptures, and frescoes from various Rome aristocratic families can be found on the second floor.
While Piazza Navona and Renaissance and Baroque architecture surround the Museo di Roma in the city center, we think there are other museums in Rome that are more entertaining and interesting. Additionally, the cost is very high.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: National Museum of the Palazzo di Venezia in Rome Italy
The Palazzo Barbo, also known as Palazzo Venezia, was constructed between 1455 and 1467 for the Venetian Cardinal Pietro Barbo, who later took the name Paul II to become Pope, and is a palace in Rome that is close to Piazza Venezia. This structure was constructed using travertine from the Colosseum and Teatro di Marcello.
Between Piazza Venezia and Via del Plebiscito in Rome, there is a palace called Palazzo Venezia. It is a sober Renaissance structure where artwork created between the early Christian era and the Renaissance is displayed.
The National Museum of Palazzo Venezia, the National Institute of Archeology and Art History with the Archeology and Art History Library, and, as of December 2014, the Polo Museale del Lazio have their headquarters in Palazzo Venezia.
Pope Paul II was the first occupant of this building, and the majority of the collections on display at the National Museum of Palazzo Venezia are his. Additionally, you can view some works from the National Gallery of Ancient Art, the Museum of the Roman College, and the Sant’Angelo Castle. You can see a variety of items in the palace’s corridors, including Renaissance paintings, terracotta sculptures, rugs, polychrome wooden sculptures, and weapons and armor.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: National Roman Museum at Palazzo Altemps in Rome Italy
One of the museums in Rome, the National Roman Museum is dispersed among a number of buildings, including the Palazzo Altemps, the Baths of Diocletian, the Crypta Balbi, and the Palazzo Massimo. It houses the largest collection of Greco-Roman art in the entire world.
The National Museum preserves artifacts from Rome’s Imperial Age and Republican periods through the Middle Ages, including statues, sarcophagi, earthenware, mosaics, jewelry, frescoes, and statues.
The majority of the items on display were discovered during the Imperial Fora, Roman, or greater Roman Empire Age. Together, the four branches house an impressive array of displays and artifacts that paint a vivid picture of life in Ancient Rome.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Palatine Hill in Rome Italy
The Palatine Hill, one of Rome’s seven hills and about 40 meters above the Roman Forum, is a central hill and one of the city’s oldest areas. Numerous ancient Rome neighborhoods can be found on the hill, and the Museo Palatino is a small museum that charts the history of Palatino’s development.
Models, archaeological artifacts, and video presentations are used in the displays. Here, you can see the numerous excavations and discoveries made while working on the Palatine Hill. When sculptures, mosaics, items, and frescoes were created or discovered, Palatine Hill was at its most prosperous.
The busts of the imperial family, a room devoted to Augustus, and a pair of marble Ali di Vittoria (Victory Wings) are the center of attention. A Super ticket that must be purchased in advance is required for entry to one of the hilltop museums in Rome.
10. National Gallery of Ancient Art in Barberini Palace
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: National Gallery of Ancient Art in Barberini Palace in Rome Italy
Rome is home to the National Galleries of Ancient Art, which are split between two locations: Palazzo Corsini and Palazzo Barberini. On the spot where Villa Sforza once stood, Carlo Maderno created the Barberini Palace for Pope Urban VIII. The 15th-century Palazzo Corsini, formerly known as Palazzo Riario, was renovated for Cardinal Neri Maria Corsini in the 18th century by architect Ferdinando Fuga.
The Corsini Gallery’s collections were started in the 17th century by Cardinal Neri Corsini, who gathered gifts given to the family, works directly purchased by Pope Clement XII while still a cardinal, and works that belonged to the family. This magnificent gallery features artwork from the 14th to the 18th century, as well as furniture from the 18th century, sculptures from antiquity and the modern era, and works by authors from the 16th century.
Along with important Bamboccianti and landscape architects, the 17th-century Roman, Neapolitan, and Bolognese schools are also represented here. Inside, among many other artists, you can see works by Beato Angelico, Caravaggio, Rubens, Murillo, and Luca Giordano. The Corsini Gallery serves as the focal point of Rome’s National Gallery of Ancient Art and is the only 18th-century Roman image gallery to have survived intact.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Museo di Roma in Trastevere Jensens, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The Museum of Rome in Trastevere is housed in the former monastery of Sant’Egidio, where the Discalced Carmelite nuns lived until the capture of Rome. It is situated in one of the most vibrant and well-liked areas of the capital.
After being restored in 1976, the structure became the home of the Museum of Folklore and Roman Poets, which housed items relating to common Roman customs from the Municipal Cabinet of Prints and the Museum of Rome. It was once again made available to the public in 2000 under the name Museum of Rome in Trastevere.
The new reorganization enables a more responsive use to the current needs of museology, particularly lending itself to the organization of temporary exhibitions, especially of photography, shows, conferences, and concerts.
Through the tastes and ideologies of the artists and folklorists who represented it, the museum’s permanent collection highlights key elements of Roman popular life at the turn of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
A 19th-century Roman nativity scene, six realistic environmental representations, better known as Le Scene Romane, which reproduce life-size elements of everyday life in Rome in the nineteenth century, are among the paintings, prints, drawings, and watercolours in the collection. These include a selection from Ettore Roesler Franz’s famous Roma Vanished series.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Museo Napoleónico Lalupa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Museo Napoleónico is located in the Palazzo Primoli and is devoted to Napoleon’s time in power and his relationship with Italy. The museum, which is close to Piazza Navona, houses the collections amassed by Count Giuseppe Primoli. He was Lucien and Joseph Bonaparte’s great-grandson.
Primoli wanted to portray the imperial family from his own personal perspective. The museum is still set up the way he intended. There are paintings, artifacts, sculptures, Napoleonic garb, books, and other items. This museum is for you if you enjoy history.
Excellent multimedia virtual tours are available at the Museo Napoleonico. You can explore the collection in 360 degrees. Alternatively, you can access a wealth of information by visiting the photo gallery and selecting a particular image. Additionally, Google Arts & Culture lists the museum.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Jewish Museum at The Great Synagogue of Rome
The Great Synagogue complex of buildings houses the Jewish Museum of Rome. You can see a reconstruction of Jewish life in Rome from the earliest settlement in the second century before the Common Era by moving through the various rooms.
One of the oldest communities outside of Israel, the Jewish community in Rome has existed continuously for 2,200 years. The majority of the items on display in the museum are from the ghetto era (1555–1870) and were all originally housed in the structure known as the “Five Synagogues.” The extensive collection consists of marble works, historical records, manuscripts, incunabula, and liturgical furniture.
The museum’s treasures have been on display in a single room since 1960, but the study and cataloguing of every piece of art necessitated a larger display space. Inaugurating the new exhibit was done in 2005. The museum has a 700 square meter footprint and is organized into seven rooms with various themes. It provides a reconstruction of Jewish life in Rome and demonstrates how they were able to blend in with the socioeconomic system of the city while preserving their unique identities.
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Museo Barracco de Escultura Antigua LPLT, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Giovanni Barracco Museum of Ancient Sculpture houses a collection of pieces that the collector amassed and donated to the city of Rome in 1902.
The artwork includes examples from the classical periods of Greece as well as Egyptian, Assyrian, and Phoenician art. The 400 pieces in the collection are divided into nine rooms on the first and second floors for display, with a small reception area on the ground floor. The works are arranged according to civilization.
Egyptian artworks are displayed in rooms I and II on the first floor. Works from Mesopotamia are displayed in Room II, including cuneiform tablets from the third millennium BCE and artifacts from Neorian palaces from the ninth and seventh centuries BCE. Two significant Phoenician artifacts and some Etruscan artwork can be found in the third room, and artwork from Cyprus is on display in the fourth.
The classical art gallery is on the second floor. Roman-era original sculptures and replicas are displayed in Room V, along with Greek sculpture from the fifth century B.C. Room VI displays Greek funerary sculptures alongside copies of classical artworks. A variety of pottery and other artifacts from the time of Alexander the Great are on display in Rooms VII and VIII. The last room displays medieval art samples along with works from public monuments from the Roman era.
15. Museum of the Liberation of Rome
📍Address: Via Torquato Tasso, 145, 00185 Roma RM, Italy
Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Museum of the Liberation of Rome Roundtheworld, CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0), Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
The Museum of the Liberation in Rome’s Via Tasso depicts life during World War II. The museum is housed in the entire structure that the Sicherheitspolizei, the Nazi Security Police, led by Herbert Kappler, used as a prison.
Prisoners were held in Via Tasso and subjected to torture. To force them to reveal the names, locations, and plans of the resistance, they had to endure protracted interrogations that frequently included torture. About 2000 women and men, soldiers, partisans, and regular people passed through here. The Fosse Ardeatine massacre, carried out on March 24, 1944, as retaliation for the partisan attack in Via Rasella the day before, resulted in the deaths of many of the detainees.
The Museum of the Liberation is a powerful reminder of the occupation because it was largely left intact. Visitors can visit the cells, which still have walled windows, the same doors, and even the same switches that the Gestapo used.
The graffiti that was left on the cell walls by the inmates—written with spikes and nails—contains messages of courage, faith, and love for one’s country as well as farewells to loved ones. As a result, going to the Museum of Via Tasso is a moving and poignant experience that transports you to a tragic period in Italian history.
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Best Museums in Rome, Italy: Guide to the Best Art & History Collection
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