{"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":"2026-03-20T11:34:03","modified_gmt":"2026-03-20T15:34:03","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\u00a0artifacts\u00a0reside\u00a0in\u00a0four different palaces on\u00a0top\u00a0of the Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio): Palazzo\u00a0dei\u00a0Conservatori, Palazzo\u00a0Senatorio, Palazzo Nuovo and in the 19th<\/sup>\u00a0century, Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino. The Museum\u2019s history began in 1471 when\u00a0Pope Sixtus IV<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>donated\u00a0a\u00a0collection\u00a0of\u00a0ancient\u00a0statues\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0City\u00a0and\u00a0located\u00a0them\u00a0on\u00a0the Capitoline Hill (the\u00a0She-Wolf<\/strong>,\u00a0Boy with the Thorn<\/strong>, the\u00a0colossal head of Constantius II<\/strong>).\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Although the City was already in possession of several important ancient artifacts \u2013 a 4th<\/sup>\u00a0century BC marble sculpture of a lion attacking a horse together\u00a0with\u00a0two\u00a0urns\u00a0from\u00a0the\u00a0tomb\u00a0of\u00a0Augustus –\u00a0the\u00a0collection\u00a0increased over time thanks to the additional gifts of subsequent popes and benefactors, and now includes\u00a0statues, inscriptions, paintings, jewels, coins, tapestries, and other important historical artifacts. In the mid-18th<\/sup>\u00a0century\u00a0Pope Clement XII<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>created the embryo of the contemporary\u00a0museum\u00a0when\u00a0in\u00a01773\u00a0he\u00a0purchased\u00a0from\u00a0Cardinal\u00a0Alessandro\u00a0Albani\u00a0over 400\u00a0Roman\u00a0busts\u00a0located\u00a0now\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Palazzo\u00a0Nouvo. The\u00a0pope\u00a0opened\u00a0the Museums to the general populace of the\u00a0City\u00a0in 1774, making them among the oldest museums in\u00a0the\u00a0world and\u00a0the only one\u00a0then\u00a0open to\u00a0the\u00a0general\u00a0public.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

This palace complex now faces the trapezoidal public square designed by Michelangelo in the mid-16th<\/sup>\u00a0century and completed gradually over the course of four centuries. One of its best-known works and originally the centerpiece of the piazza,\u00a0the\u00a0equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius<\/span>,\u00a0<\/strong>currently holds place of honor in a recently\u00a0created glass-covered space inside Palazzo\u00a0dei\u00a0Conservatori<\/strong>.\u00a0A less attractive copy\u00a0<\/strong>(1981)\u00a0of the original\u00a0now\u00a0stands\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0center\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0square<\/strong>.\u00a0A\u00a01979\u00a0bomb\u00a0attack\u00a0on the nearby Palazzo\u00a0Senatorio\u00a0damaged the\u00a0statue\u2019s\u00a0base\u00a0and incentivized the municipality to protect it inside the Museum.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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\u00a0short\u00a0list\u00a0of\u00a0some\u00a0important\u00a0holdings\u00a0in\u00a0each\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0palaces\u00a0follows.\u00a0<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Palazzo\u00a0dei\u00a0Conservatori:<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/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\u00a0I\u00a0(Sala\u00a0Orazi\u00a0Curiae):<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

pope urban VIII <\/strong>(Barbarini) marble sculpture by Bernini<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

bronze sculpture, pope innocent X (Pamphilji) by Alessandro Algardi<\/strong>(+1649) <\/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\u00a0III\u00a0(Sala\u00a0Trionfi):<\/strong>\u00a0<\/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\u00a0III\u00a0(Venice\u00a015th\u00a0century):<\/strong>\u00a0<\/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\u00a0Lapidaria<\/strong>:\u00a0connects\u00a0Palazzo\u00a0Nuovo\u00a0and\u00a0Palazzo\u00a0dei\u00a0Conservatori;\u00a0contains\u00a0inscription fragments\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    1. Galleria\u00a0Traversale:\u00a0<\/strong>passage\u00a0to\u00a0Tabularium;\u00a0foundation\u00a0of\u00a0Veiove\u00a0Temple;\u00a0statue\u00a0of\u00a0Veiove\u00a0god; beams from Temple of Vespasian and Titus (at end of gallery\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. Gallery\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Tabularium\u00a0overlooking\u00a0Forum<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. Foundations\u00a0of\u00a0Tabularium:\u00a0<\/strong>foundations\u00a0pre-exiting\u00a0Tabularium;\u00a0Republican\u00a0era pavement fixed to walls; 2nd<\/sup>\u00a0century 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 Regia= bronze plaque of Vespasian law code with Michelangelo marble<\/strong> <\/strong>frame;<\/strong> <\/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\u00a0artifacts\u00a0reside\u00a0in\u00a0four different palaces on\u00a0top\u00a0of the Capitoline Hill (Campidoglio): Palazzo\u00a0dei\u00a0Conservatori, Palazzo\u00a0Senatorio, Palazzo Nuovo and in the 19th\u00a0century, Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino. The Museum\u2019s history began in 1471 when\u00a0Pope Sixtus IV\u00a0donated\u00a0a\u00a0collection\u00a0of\u00a0ancient\u00a0statues\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0City\u00a0and\u00a0located\u00a0them\u00a0on\u00a0the Capitoline Hill (the\u00a0She-Wolf,\u00a0Boy with the Thorn, the\u00a0colossal head of Constantius II).\u00a0 Although the City was…<\/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}]}}