Capitoline Museums

Address: Piazza del Campidoglio, 1, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Founded: 1471

Hours: 

Architect: Michelangelo

Phone: +39 06 0608

Director: Claudio Parisi Presicce

Province: Metropolitan City of Rome Capital

The historical seat of the Capitoline Museums is made up of the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo, buildings that overlook Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio.

The creation of the museum dates back to 1471, when Pope Sixtus IV donated to the city a collection of important bronzes from the Lateran (including the Capitoline Wolf), which he had placed in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori and in the Piazza del Campidoglio: this makes it the oldest public museum in the world.

The antique collection was enriched over time with donations from various popes and was expanded with the construction of the Palazzo Nuovo in 1654.

Since then the museum has expanded considerably, including not only Roman artefacts, but also pieces of medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art.

The museum was opened to public visits only in 1734, at the request of Pope Clement XII, almost a century later.

This article is published on ArtAddict Galleria, where we explore the intersections of art, history, and culture. Stay tuned for more insights and discoveries!