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Capitoline Museums
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Capitoline Museums

4.7 ·

Step into the world's oldest public museum atop Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio. See the iconic Capitoline Wolf, colossal fragments of Constantine, and the original bronze Marcus Aurelius across two palaces linked by an underground gallery.

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Reasons to go

  • Founded in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated bronze statues to Rome, making it the oldest public museum in the world
  • The museum spans two palaces on Capitoline Hill designed by Michelangelo, linked by an underground Tabularium passage with views over the Roman Forum
  • Home to the Capitoline Wolf, colossal fragments of a statue of Constantine, and the original gilt-bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius
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Full description

Founded in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated a group of bronze statues to the people of Rome, the Capitoline Museums claim the title of the oldest public museum in the world, spread across two Michelangelo-designed palaces atop the Capitoline Hill. Highlights include the Capitoline Wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, colossal fragments of a statue of Constantine, and the original gilt-bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius.

With a 4.7 rating across nearly 19,000 reviews and top marks for culture and aesthetics, it ranks among Rome's essential stops rather than a niche detour. Plan on a full two hours to take in both palaces and the underground gallery connecting them.

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Address

Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy · Campitelli
Website
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Hours

🎫

Booking

Booking recommended

Duration

2h

Best time

morning, lunchtime, afternoon, early evening or evening

Intensity

Moderate walking

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Good to know

  • Book tickets online to skip the line, especially in peak season
  • the underground Tabularium passage offers one of the best views of the Roman Forum
  • combine a morning visit with nearby Forum sites since it's an early best time slot.
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Reviews

This was the most incredible museum I have ever visited. The scale of everything inside is incredible, so beautiful so detailed. The art was absolutely breathtaking. All of the sculptures... Oh my goodness. What a fantastic trip through history. These are the most exquisite artifacts. So grateful I was able to come…

J

Jennifer Turner

1/5

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