{"id":327,"date":"2026-03-20T11:34:03","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:34:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/?page_id=327"},"modified":"2026-08-02T09:56:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-02T13:56:29","slug":"capitoline-museums","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/?page_id=327","title":{"rendered":"Capitoline\u00a0Museums"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Capitoline Museums consist of one museum whose collection of art pieces and archeological artifacts reside in four different palaces on top of the Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio): Palazzo dei Conservatori, Palazzo Senatorio, Palazzo Nuovo and in the 19th<\/sup> century, Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino. The Museum\u2019s history began in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV<\/u><\/strong> donated a collection of ancient statues to the City and located them on the Capitoline Hill (the She-Wolf<\/strong>, Boy with the Thorn<\/strong>, the colossal head of Constantius II<\/strong>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Although the City was already in possession of several important ancient artifacts \u2013 a 4th<\/sup> century BC marble sculpture of a lion attacking a horse together with two urns from the tomb of Augustus – the collection increased over time thanks to the additional gifts of subsequent popes and benefactors, and now includes statues, inscriptions, paintings, jewels, coins, tapestries, and other important historical artifacts. In the mid-18th<\/sup> century Pope Clement XII<\/span> <\/strong>created the embryo of the contemporary museum when in 1773 he purchased from Cardinal Alessandro Albani over 400 Roman busts located now in the Palazzo Nouvo. The pope opened the Museums to the general populace of the City in 1774, making them among the oldest museums in the world and the only one then open to the general public. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This palace complex now faces the trapezoidal public square designed by Michelangelo in the mid-16th<\/sup> century and completed gradually over the course of four centuries. One of its best-known works and originally the centerpiece of the piazza, the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius<\/span>, <\/strong>currently holds place of honor in a recently created glass-covered space inside Palazzo dei Conservatori<\/strong>. A less attractive copy <\/strong>(1981) of the original now stands in the center of the square<\/strong>. A 1979 bomb attack on the nearby Palazzo Senatorio damaged the statue\u2019s base and incentivized the municipality to protect it inside the Museum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The\u00a0Capitoline\u00a0art\u00a0gallery\u00a0(Pinacoteca),\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0Palazzo\u00a0dei\u00a0Conservatori, stand out among the oldest public painting galleries in the world. Created around 1750 with the purchase of 16th<\/sup>\u00a0and 17th<\/sup>\u00a0century\u00a0paintings,\u00a0it includes\u00a0masterpieces by Titian, Caravaggio, and Rubens<\/strong>. As extraordinarily beautiful as\u00a0these\u00a0individual\u00a0works\u00a0of art seem\u00a0to\u00a0us\u00a0today,\u00a0how\u00a0much\u00a0more\u00a0so\u00a0would\u00a0they\u00a0have\u00a0stood\u00a0out if\u00a0they\u00a0could\u00a0be\u00a0viewed\u00a0in their original and unique settings?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A short list of some important holdings in each of the palaces follows. <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Palazzo dei Conservatori:<\/span><\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floor I (Appartamento Conservatori overlooking the Piazza)<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

courtyard<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fragments of colossal Constantine statue<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

head of emperor Constans, son of Constantine; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

arch: with BRIT inscription, 51 A.D., part of Claudius’s British conquest; Roma statue of Hadrian from his villa at Tivoli; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stairwell; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiger mosaics: opus sectile; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marcus Aurelius relief: triumphal arch; Hadrian relief: arch of Portogallo; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

statue: Charles of Anjou<\/strong> <\/strong>by Arnolfo di Cambio<\/strong>, 1272 AD <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Room I (Sala Orazi Curiae):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pope\u00a0Urban\u00a0VIII\u00a0<\/strong>(Barbarini)\u00a0marble\u00a0sculpture\u00a0by\u00a0Bernini<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

bronze\u00a0sculpture,\u00a0Pope\u00a0Innocent\u00a0X\u00a0(Pamphilji)\u00a0by\u00a0Alessandro\u00a0Algardi<\/strong>(+1649)\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

frescoes by Cavalieri d\u2019Arpino= Giuseppe Cesare (+1640) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room II (Sala Capitolini):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

frescoes of Roman history, 17th century; statues and busts from 16th and 17th centuries; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room III (Sala Trionfi):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spinario <\/strong>first century BC = boy with thorn in foot <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Junius Brutus bust<\/strong>: third century BC <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Camillus statue<\/strong> <\/strong>from first century A.D. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Room IV (Sala Lupa):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She Wolf =\u201dLupa<\/strong>\u201d 6th<\/sup>\/5th<\/sup>cent BC, Etruscan, Vulcan of Veii struck by lightning 65 BC <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Romulus and Remus of the She Wolf added 1509 by Antonio Pallaiolo; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

fragments of Roman magistrates\u2019 list on the walls <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room V (Sala Oche):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Medusa head by Bernini<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Daniele Da Volterra\u2019s Bust of Michelangelo<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Roman eagle: imperial age <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room VI (Sala Aquila): <\/strong>wood carved ceilings; goddess statues e.g. Athena\/Artemis <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room VII (Castellani I): <\/strong>busts of Roman emperors e.g. Hadrian <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room VIII( Castellani II): <\/strong>Cosmatesque tabletop: life of Achilles <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room IX (Castellani III): <\/strong>commemorative plaques e.g. Michelangelo, Bernini, Titian <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exedra of Marcus Aurelius<\/strong>: Marcus Aurelius Equestrian Statue\/Bronze Hercules\/colossal bronze Constantine<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Room X (Sala Arazzi)<\/strong>: tapestries <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room XI (Sala Annibale): <\/strong>16th century frescoes <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room XII (Capella): <\/strong>Chapel dedicated to Peter and Paul, 16th and 17th centuries <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rooms XIII, XIV (Halls of Fasti Moderni): <\/strong>inscriptions <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rooms 15,16,17,18(Halls of Horti Lamiani): <\/strong>Esquiline Venus<\/strong>\/Commodus Hercules <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Rooms 19,20 (Sale Horti Tauriani Vettiani):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rooms 21, 22, 23(Sale Horti Mecenate): <\/strong>Marsias statue<\/strong> <\/strong>(2nd<\/sup> cent BC copy) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Room 24: Gallery<\/strong>: Esquiline garden remnants from Augustan age <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floor II:Pinocoteca<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room I (medieval to 1500): <\/strong>Bartolomeo Passerotti\u2019s presentation of Jesus in the <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Temple; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room II (Ferrara 15th century)<\/strong>: Garofolo\u2019s Annunciation<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Room III (Venice 15th century):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paolo Veronese<\/strong>: Rape of Europa<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Titian<\/strong>: <\/strong>Baptism of Christ<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Tintoretto <\/strong>(3): Scourging of Christ<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Room IV (Rome 17th-century): <\/strong>Pier Francesco Mola\u2019s Diana and Endymion <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room V (16th century Emelia): <\/strong>Cavalier d\u2019Arpino\u2019s Diana huntress\/ Anthony the <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abbot <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room VI (16th century Bologna): <\/strong>Guido Reni (3) – St. Sebastian, Cleopatra, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anima Beata; Annibale Caracci\u2019s St. Francis <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room VII (Sala S.Petronilla):<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caravaggio: Gypsy Fortune Teller<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Caravaggio:John Baptist<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Peter Paul Rubens: Romulus and Remus<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Guercino\u2019s burial of S. Petronilla; S.Matthew; Cleopatra before Augustus; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Persian Sibyl; Cumean Sibyl by Domenichino<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Room VIII: (Pietro da Cortona room): <\/strong>rape of Sabines; Urban VIII portrait; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bacchus <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room IX (Cini gallery): <\/strong>Velasquez\u2019 self portrait<\/strong> <\/strong>and portraits(2) of VanDyck\/Giovanni Bellini: young man <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Floor II: Caffarelli-Clementine Palace<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room 1: <\/strong>(Medallion Collection): Roman money and coins, gold jewelry, medallions of all ages <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room 2: <\/strong>(Sala Clementino): wooden doors and ceilings 17th century <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room 3 (Sala Affreschi): <\/strong>Imperial busts e.g. Tiberius and Hadrian <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Room 4 (Sala Frontone): <\/strong>second century BC bas reliefs found on Via San Gregorio Magno <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floor II: Medallion Collection: <\/strong>Roman coins, jewelry, medallions <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palazzo Senatorio<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. Galleria Lapidaria<\/strong>: connects Palazzo Nuovo and Palazzo dei Conservatori; contains inscription fragments <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Galleria Traversale: <\/strong>passage to Tabularium; foundation of Veiove Temple; statue of Veiove god; beams from Temple of Vespasian and Titus (at end of gallery <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Gallery of the Tabularium overlooking Forum<\/strong> <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. Foundations of Tabularium: <\/strong>foundations pre-exiting Tabularium; Republican era pavement fixed to walls; 2nd<\/sup> century BC mosaic floor tiles; ancient cistern<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          Palazzo Nuovo<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Ground floor Courtyard<\/strong>: Marforio Statue<\/strong> <\/strong>(one of Rome\u2019s 7 \u201ctalking statues\u201d e.g. Pasquino); <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          River God located earlier on the Via di Marforio near the Arch of Septimius Severus <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Atrium: <\/strong>Hadrian as Pontifex Maximus<\/strong>; Colossal Mars; Faustina (Antoninus Pius wife) as goddess Ceres <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Foot of stairs<\/strong>: colossal statue of Mars<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          First Floor;<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Galleria: <\/strong>Colossal Hercules; Discobolus of Myron<\/strong> (copy)<\/strong>; Leda with Swan; drunken Old Woman (3rd<\/sup> BC) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Room #2: <\/strong>dove mosaics <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Room #3: <\/strong>Capitoline Venus<\/strong> <\/strong>(Praxiteles original, 4th century BC) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Room #4: <\/strong>Imperial busts: Augustus<\/strong>, Livia, Agrippina, Aurelius, Helena, Titus, Vespasian, Caracala, Severus <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Room #5: <\/strong>busts of poets and philosophers Socrates, Sophocles, Homer<\/strong>, Euripides, Cicero, Pythagoras <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Room #6: <\/strong>Roman statuary: Centaurs, Apollo, colossal Hercules <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Room #7: <\/strong>Laughing Satyr in red marble; <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Lex\u00a0Regia:\u00a0bronze\u00a0plaque\u00a0of\u00a0Vespasian\u00a0law\u00a0code\u00a0with\u00a0Michelangelo\u00a0marble<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>frame;<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Marble Faun<\/strong> <\/strong>from Hadrian\u2019s Villa (Samuel Hawthorn novel); <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Room #8: <\/strong>Dying Gaul<\/strong> <\/strong>(2nd<\/sup> century BC copy\/ belonged to Emperor Nerva); Eros and Psyche; <\/strong>Satyr in repose; <\/strong>Amazon; Capitoline Antinous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          The Capitoline Museums consist of one museum whose collection of art pieces and archeological artifacts reside in four different palaces on top of the Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio): Palazzo dei Conservatori, Palazzo Senatorio, Palazzo Nuovo and in the 19th century, Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino. The Museum\u2019s history began in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated a collection of ancient…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-327","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/327\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/romeguide.hcc-nd.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}