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Capitoline Museums

Conservators' Rooms, Musei Capitolini, Rome.

Underground passage with inscriptions — Musei Capitolini, Rome, Italy.

So-called “Young Centaur”: a young centaur mocking Love’s wounds (Eros missing). Grey-black marble, Roman copy after a Hellenistic original.

Herakles as a boy strangling a snake. Marble, Roman artwork, 2nd century CE.

Mosaic with two masks leaning on a socle projecting out from two walls that meet at an angle, seen in perspective.

Trophy; relief of the Temple of Hadrian on the Campus Martius. Proconnessian marble. 138–145 EC — Musei Capitolini, Interior Courtyard.

From an original by Phidias. Head: replica of that of the Amazon by Polykleitos. Marble, 197 cm. Formerly at Villa d’Este. Capitoline Museum, Rome.

Palazzo Nuovo on the Capitoline in Rome.

Courtyard of the Palace of the Conservatives with its inner portico designed by architect Alessandro Specchi (1668–1729) and built in 1720 to house a group of three remarkable sculptures, monumental architectural elements, and fragments of colossal ancient sculptures.

Italy, Rome, Capitoline Museum, Palazzo Nuovo, Gallery, April 2008.

Centrale Montemartini in Rome: Boiler Room and mosaic of Saint Bibiana.

Palazzo Nuovo - Capitoline Museums - Rome

Constantine's mother, the future saint Helena, here relaxes laughingly in a chair. One of ancient Rome's few surviving imperial portraits of this kind. 1911. The statue today. Detail.

Monsters Exhibition (Palazzo Massimo, Rome, 2014).

Commodo vestito da Ercole ai Musei Capitolini

Medusa head attributed to Gianlorenzo Bernini (Rome).

Colossal statue of Caesar Constantine I the Great, reconstruction from 2022–2023, Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Leda and Zeus transformed into a swan. Palazzo Nuovo, Capitoline Museums, Rome.

Satyr leaning on a tree trunk. Roman copy of the Imperial era after a Greek original of the 4th century B.C., of the second classicism, restored in 1999.

Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, Roman artwork.

Situated in the upper part of the Esquilino, in the area around what is today Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, the Horti Lamiani (Lamiani Garden) were founded by the consul Aelius Lamia, a friend of Tiberius, and very soon (already with Caligula) became part of imperial property. Of the luxurious decorations of this vast complex of buildings, excavated in the 19th century and then covered over again, in addition to the frescoes and architectural elements in colored marbles, a countless number of foils in gilded bronze with gems set in them—the remains of a sumptuous wall dressing—were found. Capitoline Museum, Rome.

Female statue, probably a Roman copy of the statue of Artemis by Kephisodotos.

Marble statue of Mars, “Pyrrhus,” dated to the 1st century AD. Height: 360 cm. It was found in Nerva’s Forum in Rome and is now placed in the atrium of the Capitoline Museums in Rome. This statue of Mars Ultor is most likely dated to the early 2nd century AD due to its style (either the end of Trajan’s reign or the beginning of Hadrian’s). It is a copy of an Augustan-era original, which itself was based on a Hellenistic Greek model from the 4th century BC.

Palazzo dei Conservatori - Capitoline Museums - Rome

The representation of rivers in the Roman era derives from Greek mythology, where the Oceanids were river gods, personifications of the rivers that were supposed to be governed by them. Due to this Greek influence, sculptures of river deities from the Roman period usually appeared as bearded elders with powerful musculature, leaning on one arm and accompanied by different attributes that identified them with a specific river.

Capitoline Museums

Rome, Italy

Nestled on opposite sides of Rome’s iconic Piazza del Campidoglio, the Capitoline Museums stand as a testament to the city’s enduring legacy and artistic grandeur. Established in the 17th century and crafted according to Michelangelo’s visionary architectural sketches, these museums offer a captivating journey through centuries of art, history, and culture. Advance online booking is highly recommended for visitors eager to explore these treasures without delay.

Architectural Majesty and Michelangelo’s Vision

The Capitoline Museums owe much of their splendor to Michelangelo, whose designs shaped both the grand piazza and the palatial buildings that flank it. Each museum is a masterpiece in itself, harmoniously blending Renaissance elegance with echoes of Rome’s ancient past.

Legendary Sculptures and Ancient Masterpieces

Among the museums’ dazzling highlights is the monumental Colossus of Constantine. While the Colosseum may have taken its name from the now-lost Colossus of Nero statue, it is Constantine’s surviving fragments—an enormous head, hands, foot, and kneecap—that capture visitors’ imaginations in the entrance courtyard. Other iconic pieces include The Dying Gaul, a stunning marble sculpture that replicates a 3rd-century BC Greek bronze, and the Capitoline Venus, celebrated for its timeless beauty.

Classical sculpture enthusiasts will also admire the small but exquisite Lo Spinario, a 1st-century-BC bronze depicting a boy removing a thorn from his foot, and the Lupa Capitolina—the legendary Etruscan bronze statue of the she-wolf nursing Rome’s founders, Romulus and Remus, dating possibly from the 5th century BC. The museums are also home to the original gilt bronze equestrian statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, with the version displayed in the Piazza del Campidoglio being a replica.

Masterpieces of Painting in the Pinacoteca

The museums’ Pinacoteca, or Picture Gallery, boasts an impressive collection of works from the 16th and 17th centuries. Art lovers can admire masterpieces such as Caravaggio’s Fortune-Teller and his enigmatic John the Baptist, along with The Holy Family by Dosso Dossi, Romulus and Remus by Rubens, and Titian’s Baptism of Christ. Each painting reflects the genius and diversity of the artists who shaped the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Visiting the Capitoline Museums

Whether captivated by classical sculptures or drawn to the rich colors of Renaissance canvases, visitors to the Capitoline Museums are treated to a world-class cultural experience. These museums not only celebrate Rome’s illustrious past but also offer a welcoming glimpse into the artistry that continues to define the Eternal City today.

Source - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitoline_Museums