Capitoline Museums

Overview

The Capitoline Museums (Italian: Musei Capitolini) is a single museum containing a group of art and archaeological museums in Piazza del Campidoglio, on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. The historic seats of the museums are Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, facing on the central trapezoidal piazza in a plan conceived by Michelangelo in 1536 and executed over a period of more than 400 years. The history of the museum can be traced to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of important ancient bronzes to the people of Rome and located them on the Capitoline Hill. Since then, the museums' collection has grown to include many ancient Roman statues, inscriptions, and other artifacts; a collection of medieval and Renaissance art; and collections of jewels, coins, and other items. The museums are owned and operated by the municipality of Rome.

The statue of a mounted rider in the centre of the piazza is of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It is a copy, the original being housed on-site in the Capitoline museum.

Opened to the public in 1734 under Clement XII, the Capitoline Museums are considered the first museum in the world, understood as a place where art could be enjoyed by all and not only by the owners.

Details

Location" Location: Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, Rome, Laz. 00186 Italy
Visitor Visit Type: Vistor Centre
Co-ordinates" Co-ordinates: 41.893478, 12.482640
Web" Web: http://museicapitolini.org/ external_link_dark

Map

Nearby Locations

LocationDistanceDirection
Santa Maria in Aracoeli Italy bullet_black0.03 milesNE
Victor Emmanuel II Monument (Altare della Patria) Italy bullet_black0.11 milesN
Arch of Septimius Severus Italy bullet_black0.12 milesESE
Roman Forum Italy bullet_black0.16 milesSE
Imperial Fora Italy bullet_black0.20 milesE
Trajan's Forum Italy0.22 milesNE
Trajan's Market Italy bullet_black0.23 milesNE
Arch of Titus Italy bullet_black0.36 milesESE
Pantheon Italy bullet_black0.46 milesNW
Arch of Constantine Italy bullet_black0.48 milesESE
Vicus Caprarius (Trevi Fountain Underground) Italy bullet_black0.49 milesN
Collosseum Italy bullet_black0.52 milesSSE
Trevi Fountain Italy bullet_black0.53 milesN
Palatine Hill Italy bullet_black0.53 milesSE
Circus Maximus Italy bullet_black0.53 milesSSE
Piazza Navona Italy bullet_black0.61 milesNW
Domus Aurea Italy0.68 milesESE
Stadium of Domitian (Piazza Navona Underground) Italy bullet_black0.68 milesNW
Santa Maria in Trastevere Italy0.70 milesWSW
Baths of Trajan Italy0.71 milesE
Information correct as of 25/09/2020