Museum
Capitoline Museums
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The Capitoline Museums are a group of art and archaeological museums on the Capitoline Hill in Rome, forming the city's main civic museum complex. The principal buildings are the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo, facing each other across Piazza del Campidoglio, a square designed by Michelangelo. The museums focus on the art and history of ancient Rome, especially Roman sculpture, and also include Renaissance and Baroque paintings.
Don't miss
- Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, originally in Piazza del Campidoglio, now in a glass room called the Exedra of Marcus Aurelius
- Capitoline Wolf, a bronze sculpture that became a symbol of Rome
- Dying Gaul, a celebrated ancient sculpture
- Frescoed walls of the Conservators' Apartment in Palazzo dei Conservatori, depicting scenes from Rome's early history
- Full-scale reconstruction of the Colossus of Constantine, installed in the gardens of Villa Caffarelli in 2024
Tickets & tours
Ways to visit Capitoline Museums
You can visit on your own (Entry is paid). A tour adds transport and a guide, or combines nearby sights into one day.
Cheapest way inVatican Museums and Sistine Chapel with Skip The Line Ticket4.4★ · 51 travelers2-3 hoursFrom$27 per personSee dates →
Most bookedVatican Museums, Sistine Chapel Tour and Basilica Access4.4★ · 4,273 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$70 per personSee dates →
Private & flexiblePrivate Tour - Capitoline Museums5★ · 96 travelers~3 hoursFree cancellationFrom$152 per personSee dates →A bit of history
The collection began in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated ancient bronzes from the Lateran to the people of Rome, including the Capitoline Wolf. Pope Clement XII opened the museum to the public in 1734, making it among the earliest museums in the world accessible to all. The Treaties of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, were signed here in 1957.
Common questions
What is the oldest public collection in the world?
The Capitoline Collection is the oldest public collection in the world, opened to the public in 1734.
What important historical event took place here?
The Treaties of Rome, which established the European Economic Community, were signed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori in 1957.
Is there a branch of the museum elsewhere?
Yes, a branch opened in 1997 at the former Centrale Montemartini, a former thermoelectric factory in the Ostiense district.
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