Capitoline Museum (Museo Capitolino), Rome

Capitoline Museum (Museo Capitolino), Rome

The Capitoline is situated in Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome. It is one of the most reputed museums of Italy with a wonderful display of artifacts on archeological and art forms. It lies on the Capitoline Hill and is managed by the municipality of Rome.

Michelangelo Buonarroti visualized this museum 1536 but the execution took almost 400 years to come to life. The collection includes donations from Pope Sixtus IV who gave away his priceless possessions of bronze items. The museums have included quite a few statues of the Roman period, collection of medieval and Renaissance art, inscriptions, and items of jewels, coins and many more.

There is a sculpture of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the center of the piazza which is taken as a resemblance of Emperor Constantine who made Christianity an official religion in Rome. The Piazza is surrounded by three main buildings and linked by an underground passage.

The Palazzo dei Conservatori is one of the three buildings displaying history and culture of ancient Roman, Greeks and Egyptian period. There are rare and amazing statues, bronze she wolf emblems, fresco paintings, tapestries, carved and decorated doors and ceilings that illustrate these periods magnificently. A different section includes ancient jewelry and coins. Presently, this building is going through renovation and will be opened very shortly.

The other building, Palazzo Nuovo showcases artifacts which include mosaics, busts, inscription, sarcophagi, the statue of Capitoline Venus from the 4th B.C., Psyche and Cupid, the Capitoline Gaul, a portion of Tabula Iliaca and many more.

The third building is the Galleria Congiunzione located under the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the piazza and was constructed in the early 19th century. This building displays artifacts of Roman residences from the 2nd century and rare collections of epigraphs. A new wing has been attached to this building and it displays the bronze statue of Constantine I from the Basilica of Maxentius, the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, remaining of the Capitoline Jupiter temple, Etruscan and Greek vases from the 19th century.

The Centrale Montemartini houses more than 400 ancient statues and incredible Roman artifacts like busts and tombs.

The museum is open from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm, Tuesdays to Sundays. It remains closed on Mondays.

Capitoline Museum (Museo Capitolino), Rome