Capitoline Museums Tour

The Capitoline Museums, the oldest public museum in the world, provide a unique opportunity to trace the entire history of Rome through an eclectic collection of art and artifacts, covering Roman and Italian treasures ranging from antique bronzes and marble busts to Renaissance paintings and frescoes. Explore this fascinating story in the company of an art historian, classicist, or archaeologist on our Capitoline Museums tour (also known as the Musei Capitolini). The museum complex is a monument in its own right:  the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo stand elegantly on the Michelangelo-designed Piazza del Campidoglio.

Here, in Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio, we begin under the gaze of the reproduction of Marcus Aurelius' bronze equestrian statue, discussing the history of the museum and its location on Capitoline Hill, along with other important buildings, such as the Tabularium, where Rome's city hall is currently located, Palazzo dei Conservatori, and Palazzo Nuovo. We will examine the collection, founded around 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV, who donated an assortment of bronze statues to the Roman people as a symbolic gesture of the Pope's relationship with his community. The majority of the treasures contained in the Capitoline Museums have a direct link with Rome's past, giving visitors the unique opportunity to observe thousands of years of Roman artistic, political, and social history. From this vantage point, we are also afforded a breathtaking view of the Forum and Palatine Hill, which sets up the context for what is housed within the museum.

Our walk through the museum is not meant to showcase the entire collection, but rather to focus on the most significant pieces for understanding the art and architecture of antiquity. Treasures such as the newly restored equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the foundations of the temple to Jupiter Capitolinus, the colossal statue of Emperor Constantine, marble busts of noblemen and patricians, and bas-reliefs with scenes from Roman history allow us to view the wide range of materials and forms used in ancient art.

There are many stairs in the Capitoline Museums, and some of the works of art we will discuss are located in the stairwells. There are a few small elevators in some areas of the museum but in many cases, the only way to move from floor to floor is to take the stairs. Anyone with limited mobility should be aware that there will be many stairs to climb on this walk.

Do you reserve headsets for this tour? 

Depending on your group size, we may be required by the venue to order headsets in which case you’ll see a “Headset Fee” added to your order. If you would like to guarantee headsets for your tour regardless of your group size, please email us and we’ll be happy to get them reserved for you.