Museums in Rome

Vatican Museums

Art Museum

The Vatican Museums are Christian art museums in the Vatican City. The museums houses a large collection of art, most of which has been gathered by popes throughout history. About 20,000 of the museums' 70,000-piece collection is on display at any given time. The Vatican Museums date back to the 1500s when they were created by Pope Julius II. These museums are among the most visited in the world. The Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums. Artists housed in the museum include the best in history, ranging from Leonardo da Vinci to Raphael to Caravaggio to Giovanni Bellini.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Vatican Museums.

• Stanze di Raffaello
• Sistine Chapel
• Leonardo da Vinci's St. Jerome in Wilderness

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €17 per person
• 📍 Viale Vaticano, 00165 Roma RM, Italy

Capitoline Museums

Archaeological Museum

The Capitoline Museums in Rome is actually a single museum that houses a collection dedicated to both art and archaeology. The museum's origins date back to the 15th century and Pope Sixtus IV, who donated ancient bronzes and set them upon Capitoline Hill, which is how the museum came to be. The Capitoline Museums were opened to the public in 1734 by Clement XII. As a result, the Capitoline Museums now own the honor of being the world's first-ever museum.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Capitoline Museums.

• Colossal statue of Constantine
• Bust of Commodus as Hercules
• Cavalier d'Arpino's Battle between Horatii and Curiatii

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €16 per person
• 📍 Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Castel Sant'Angelo

Archaeological Museum

Castel Sant'Angelo, which is also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, is a Roman tower built by Roman Emperor Hadrian. The tower was meant to serve as a mausoleum for Hadrian and for his family, though it has had many historical and modern uses, ranging from use by the popes as a fortress and a prison to its purpose today as a museum. More than one million people visit Castel Sant'Angelo each year.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Castel Sant'Angelo.

• Peter Anton von Verschaffelt's Michael the Archangel
• Views of the Tiber River
• Ponte Sant'Angelos Angel figures

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €20 per person
• 📍 Lungotevere Castello, 50, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

Doria Pamphilj Gallery

Art Museum

The Doria Pamphilj Gallery is a Roman art museum contained in the Palazzo Doria Pamphilj. The palace and the adjoining church to this day are privately owned by the Doria Pamphilj family, though the public is welcome to visit the museum and enjoy tours of the state rooms. The Doria Pamphilj collection is thought to be the largest private collection in the city.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Doria Pamphilj Gallery.

• The mummified remains of the Doria Pamphilj family saint
• Mary Magdalene by Carracci
• Caravaggio's Penitent Magdalene

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €12 per person
• 📍 Via del Corso, 305, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Palazzo Massimo alle Terme

Encyclopedic Museum

The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is one of four museums that comprises the National Roman Museum. The Palazzo Massimo alle Terme's collections focus on Greek and Roman art and sculptures, jewels, coins, frescoes, and mosaics. The museum is best known -- and most visited -- for its impressive collection of Roman frescoes, with some large enough they encompass an entire room in the museum.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme.

• A mummy found in 1964 on the Via Cassia
• Dionysus with a panther and satyr
• The frescoes

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €13 per person
• 📍 Largo di Villa Peretti, 2, 00185 Roma RM, Italy

Crypta Balbi

Archaeological Museum

The Crypta Balbi was a theater and crypt built before 20 BC under the order of Lucius Cornelius Balbus. The theater ended up buried over the course of history until it was excavated in the 1980s. About two decades following its discovery, Crypta Balbi opened as one of the four branches of the National Roman Museum. The Crypta Balbi exhibits are dedicated to the excavation of the theater as well as collections that highlight Roman life from the fifth through 10th centuries. Visitors can even tour the Crypta's basement, where the extremely old remains of the theater can be walked.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Crypta Balbi.

• The theater remains
• Early Roman life exhibits

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €13 per person
• 📍 Via delle Botteghe Oscure, 31, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

National Etruscan Museum

Encyclopedic Museum

The National Etruscan Museum in Rome is housed in a building that was originally built for Pope Julius III. The museum itself came to be during the 19th century, when Italy went through a wave of nationalism. The goal of the museum was to house together as many pre-Roman items as possible. Today, the National Etruscan Museum's collection includes the Sarcophagus of the Spouses, the Etruscan-Phoenician Pyrgi tablets, and the Apollo of Veii.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at National Etruscan Museum.

• Sarcophagus of the Spouses
• Etruscan-Phoenician Pyrgi tablets
• Apollo of Veii

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €10 per person
• 📍 Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, 00196 Roma RM, Italy

MAXXI (National Museum of the 21st Century Arts)

Art Museum

The MAXXI (National Museum of the 21st Century Arts) museum is a contemporary art and architecture museum in Rome. The museum is notable as it held an international design contest for the building's structure. Architect Zaha Hadid's submission was chosen and the MAXXI was built at the Caserma Montello, a former military barracks.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at MAXXI (National Museum of the 21st Century Arts).

• On the Spiritual Matter of Art
• At Home
• Alberto Garutti: Al Nati Oggi

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €12 per person
• 📍 Via Guido Reni, 4A, 00196 Roma RM, Italy

National Gallery of Ancient Art in Barberini Palace

Art Museum

The National Gallery of Ancient Art in Barberini Palace, or Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, is a Roman art Museum that houses the country's top collection of pre-19th century paintings. Located at both the Palazzo Barberini and the Palazzo Corisini, the National Gallery of Ancient Art houses a large number of paintings by Caravaggio, among others. The palazzos themselves are also historical works of art; both were constructed during the 1500s.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at National Gallery of Ancient Art in Barberini Palace.

• Caravaggio's Narcissus
• Portrait of Stefano Colonna
• Andrea del Sarto's Holy Family

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €12 per person
• 📍 Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

Villa Farnesina

Historic Site

Villa Farnesina is a Renaissance-era villa in Rome's Trastevere district. The 16th-century villa was originally constructed for Pope Julius II's treasuer, Agostino Chigi. The villa has a long history of belonging to affluent, famous, and prominent families in Italy and is most notable for its architectural design. Artists who worked on the design of the villa include Peruzzi, Sebastiano del Piombo, Raphael and Sodoma.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Villa Farnesina.

• The Loggia
• The work of Raphael, including his Sala di Galatea
• The work of Peruzzi

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €15 per person
• 📍 Via della Lungara, 230, 00165 Roma RM, Italy

Museum of Roman Civilization

History Museum

The Museum of Roman Civilization, or Museo della Civiltà Roman, is a museum in Rome that is dedicated to the history of Ancient Roman civilization. The museum traces the history of ancient Rome from its earliest period through the fourth century. Museum-goers can engage with ancient Roman life, ranging from scale models of the oldest periods of the civilization to a reconstructed library.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Roman Civilization.

• A model of Archaic Rome
• Rome Reborn 1.0
• A reconstructed Roman library

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Piazza Giovanni Agnelli, 10, 00144 Roma RM, Italy

Mausoleum of Augustus

Historic Site

The Mausoleum of Augustus is a historic site in Rome that houses the remains of dozens of well-known ancient Romans. The mausoleum was one of Augustus' first construction projects in Rome once he rose to power. The mausoleum stands more than 130 feet tall. Famed inhabitants of the mausoleum include Marcus Claudius Marcellus (the first to be laid to rest in the tomb in 23 BC), Tiberius' son Drusus Julius Caesar, Agrippina the Elder, Nero Julius Caesar, Caligula, Claudius, and Nerva, who was the last emperor for whom the tomb was opened.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Mausoleum of Augustus.

• The bronze statue of Augustus

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Museums of the Walls

Archaeological Museum

The Museum of the Walls, or Museo delle Mura, in Rome is an archaeological museum in the Porta San Sebastiano at the beginning of the Appian Way. The museum is focused on telling the story of Rome and ancient Rome's walls and how they were built. The exhibits date back to the construction of the first ever Roman wall, which was built by Rome's sixth king, Servius Tullius in the 300s. Visitors can even walk along the inside of the Aurelian Wall.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museums of the Walls.

• Walk the Aurelian Wall
• Learn how wall construction changed after the Gauls invaded
• How the walls changed in the 20th century

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Via di Porta San Sebastiano, 18, 00179 Roma RM, Italy

Palazzo Colonna

Art Museum

The Palazzo Colonna is a Roman palace near Quirinal Hill and the Church of Santi Apostoli. The palace, which dates back to the 13th century, was built over the remains of an ancient Roman serapeum. Today, it is home to the Colonna Art Gallery, which showcases the Colonna family's private art collection. Artists in the collection include Lorenzo Monaco, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Palma the Elder, Salviati, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci, and Guido Reni. The palace is also full of frescoes completed by famed artists.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Palazzo Colonna.

• Annibale Carracci's The Bean-eater
• Hall of the Apotheosis of Martino V
• Hall of Landscapes

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €12 per person
• 📍 Via della Pilotta, 17, 00187 Roma RM, Italy

Museum Leonardo da Vinci Experience

Art Museum

The Museum Leonardo da Vinci Experience, or Museo Leonardo da Vinci, is a museum in Rome dedicated to the art and life of Leonardo da Vinci. The museum not only tells the story of da Vinci's greatest paintings, but also focuses on da Vinci's life outside of art. da Vinci, often considered one of the most brilliant minds of the Italian Renaissance, was, in addition to being a painter, a sculpture, scientist, and engineer. The museum houses not only his art work, but more than 50 of his inventions. It's worth noting the museum only showcases reproductions of da Vinci's paintings.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum Leonardo da Vinci Experience.

• The story behind The Last Supper
• The story behind Vitruvian Man
• The story behind the Sforza equestrian sculpture

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €12 per person
• 📍 Via della Conciliazione, 19, 00193 Roma RM, Italy

Imperial Forums Museum

Archaeological Museum

The Imperial Forums Museum, or Museo dei fori imperiali, is part of Trajan's Market. The museum is a sculpture, frienze, and bust gallery in rooms that were once considered the Market's Great Hall. It also contains exhibits showcasing what the Trajan Markets would have looked like during its prime. A visit to the Imperial Forums Museum is an opportunity to wander one of the best-preserved ancient Roman structures.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Imperial Forums Museum.

• Sculptures
• Frienzes

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €12 per person
• 📍 00187 Roma RM, Italy

Napoleonic Museum

History Museum

The Napoleonic Museum, or Museo Napoleonico, houses the collection of Count Giuseppe Primoli, who began to gather objects regarding the Bonaparte family (his great-grandparents were Joseph and Lucien Bonaparte). His collection came to include family souvenirs, items from antique shops, and items that were donated by Empress Eugenie and Princess Mathilda. When Primoli died in the early 1900s, the collection was passed on to the city of Rome and a museum was created, as per his final wishes.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Napoleonic Museum .

• Louis XVIII's snuffbox that Napoleon found
• The King of Rome Room
• The Second Empire Collection

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Piazza di Ponte Umberto I, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Venanzo Crocetti Museum

Art Museum

The Venanzo Crocetti Museum is an art museum in Rome that highlights the work of Italian artist and sculptor Venanzo Crocetti. The museum's collection contains more than one hundred different marbles, bronzes, paintings, documents, and paper work that spans a 68-year period from 1930 through 1998. The museum also houses temporary traveling exhibits.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Venanzo Crocetti Museum.

• The sculpture garden

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Via Cassia, 492, 00189 Roma RM, Italy

Museum of the Liberation of Rome

History Museum

The Museum of the Liberation of Rome, or Museo storico della Liberazione - Roma, holds a collection pertaining to Germany's occupation of Rome during World War II and Rome's subsequent liberation from German control. The museum's building itself is significant to the story, as it was used as a torture chamber for members of the Italian Resistance during 1944.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of the Liberation of Rome.

• The Ardeatine Massacre Exhibit
• The actual Italian flag that was raised on Capitoline Hill on the day of liberation
• Prison graffiti

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Via Tasso, 145, 00185 Roma RM, Italy

Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the Mediterranean

Archaeological Museum

The Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the Mediterranean, or Museo del Vicino Oriente Egitto e Mediterraneo, is an archaeological museum in Rome housed inside the Rectorate of Sapienza at the University of Rome. The collection is primarily made up of ancient Egyptian artifacts, ranging from funerary objects to ceramics to lamps to coins to frescoes. It is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, collection in Rome dedicated to the study of ancient Egyptian artifacts.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of the Near East, Egypt and the Mediterranean.

• The axes of Batrawy (2400 BC)
• An unfinished bust of Nefertiti
• The first bricks from Jericho Neolithic (8500-7000 BC)

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Piazzale della Minerva 00185 Rome Italy

Enrico Fermi Center

Science Museum

The Enrico Fermi Center, or Museo Storico della Fisica e Centro Studi e Ricerche Enrico Fermi, is dedicated to the scientific advancements made by Enrico Fermi. The goal of the center is to one day transform into a Museum of Physics, partially dedicated to Fermi's biography and his scientific research conducted in the 1930s, as well as an interactive exhibit where guests can run through Fermi's famed experiments. Today, the Enrico Fermi Center promotes highlights the discoveries and advancements made by Fermi and his colleagues.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Enrico Fermi Center.

• Enrico Fermi Splits The Atom
• The Chicago Pile

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Piazza del Viminale, 1, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

The Museum of Origins

Archaeological Museum

The Museum of Origins, or Museo delle Origini, was founded in the mid-1900s by Ugo Rellini at the Department of Sciences of Antiquity at Sapienza University of Rome. The museum's mission is to teach about the history of artifacts and the world. The collections date back to prehistoric times with items found on archaeological digs and excavations from Europe and other continents. Much of the museum's collection focuses on artifacts from central and southern Italy.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at The Museum of Origins.

• Prehistoric hunting tools
• Prehistoric ceramics

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Piazzale Aldo Moro, 500185 Roma RM, Italy

Museum of Pietro Canonica

Archaeological Museum

The Museum of Pietro Canonica, or Museo Pietro Canonica, in Villa Borghese is an artist's house museum and one of the best in the country. The museum's collection is largely focused on Pietro Canonica's works, ranging from models to sketches to replicas to marbles to bronzes. The museum is lauded for taking visitors on a complete journey through the artistic process of creating sculpture, from sketching to models to casting and so on. The museum also showcases items that were part of Canonica's collection, including Piedmontese canvasses and art by Giovan Battista Quadorne, Vittorio Cavalleri, and others.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Pietro Canonica.

• Samurai armor from the 17th century
• Canonica's Princess Elisabetta of Greece
• Canonica's The digger

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Viale Pietro Canonica, 2, 00197 Roma RM, Italy

Jewish Museum of Rome

Religious Museum

The Jewish Museum of Rome, or Museo Ebraico di Roma, is housed in the Great Synagogue of Rome. The museum is focused on exhibits dedicated to the history of Jewish people in Rome dating back to the second century. The museum also showcases a collection of art created by Jewish artists.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Jewish Museum of Rome.

• Treasures of the Cinque Scole
• Life and Synagogues of the Ghetto
• The Textile Preservation Center

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €11 per person
• 📍 Via Catalana, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Central Museum of the Risorgimento at the Vittoriano

War Museum

The Central Museum of the Risorgimento at the Vittoriano, or Museo Centrale del Risorgimento, is a well-exhibited history museum documenting Italy's history dating back to the late 1700s through the first world war. The museum's exhibits range from wartime documents to military uniforms to movie clips to paintings to military artifacts.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Central Museum of the Risorgimento at the Vittoriano.

• The brigandage to Sonnino and the work of Pinelli
• Pompeii photos of the 19th century
• The Flag Memorial

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €5 per person
• 📍 Piazza Venezia, 00187 Roma RM, Italy

Giovanni Barracco Ancient Sculpture Museum

Art Museum

The Giovanni Barracco Ancient Sculpture Museum, or Museo Barracco di Scultura Antica, is an art and sculpture museum that houses the once-private collection of art collector Giovanni Barracco. Barracco's collection was gifted to the city in the early 20th century. He had amassed a large collection of art from around the world, ranging from Egyptian to Greek to Assyrian. The museum's collection includes both art and artifacts, making it a fascinating stop on your next trip to Rome.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Giovanni Barracco Ancient Sculpture Museum.

• A funerary relief from Palmyra in Syria
• A parade float from Cyprus
• Lysippus' Wounded Bitch

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 168, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome

Art Museum

The Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome, or MACRO, is a contemporary and modern art gallery in Rome. The museum is housed in two separate places: one in a former brewery and one in a former slaughterhouse. The museum's permanent collection is one of the best in Italy for post-1960s work. The museum houses artists to include Giovanni Albanese, Andrea Aquilanti, Gianni Asdrubali, Domenico Bianchi, and Bruno Ceccobelli.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Contemporary Art of Rome.

• Gioacchino Pontrelli
• Felice Levini
• The Arte Povera with Mario Ceroli and Pino Pascali

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Via Nizza, 138, 00198 Roma RM, Italy

Museum of Rome in Trastevere

Archaeological Museum

The Museum of Rome in Trastevere, or Museo di Roma in Trastevere, is a segment of the Museum of Rome. The museum's collection includes exhibits on Rome's recent culture. The exhibits include costumes, paintings, prints, photographs, and film. The Museum of Rome in Trastevere is perhaps best known for housing the Roman Scenes, which are life-sized models showcasing life in Rome.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Museum of Rome in Trastevere.

• The Roman Scenes
• Giuseppe Gioachino Belli manuscripts
• Ettore Roesler Franz's Via Giulio Romano

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €10 per person
• 📍 Piazza di S. Egidio, 1b, 00153 Roma RM, Italy

Pigorini National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography

History Museum

The Luigi Pigorini National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography is a museum in Rome that was established in the 1870s. The museum is best known for its Lak eBracciano Neolithic artifact collection, as well as its early ethnographic collection from Athanasius Kircher.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Pigorini National Museum of Prehistory and Ethnography.

• Homer in the Baltic: The northern origins of the Odyssey and the Iliad
• The fibula prenestina
• A Circeo Neanderthal skull

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €10 per person
• 📍 Piazza Guglielmo Marconi, 14, 00144 Rome RM, Italy

Victor Emmanuel II National Monument

Historic Site

The Victor Emmanuel II National Monument (Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II) is a is a national monument that was erected to honor the first king of unified Italy, Victor Emmanuel II. Located between Capitoline Hill and the Piazza Venezia, the monument is often incorrectly referred to as the Altare della Patria. In actuality, the Altare della Patria, or Altar of the Fatherland, is an altar of the goddess Rome that is part of the monument, but does not make up its entirety. The monument also houses the shrine to the Unknown Soldier.

Highlights

Here are some of the "must see" items at Victor Emmanuel II National Monument.

• Altare della Patria
• Shrine of the Unknown Soldier

• 🌐 Website
• 🎟️ €0 per person
• 📍 Piazza Venezia, 00186 Roma RM, Italy