Everything to See Inside the Capitoline Museum! 

Step into the heart of ancient Rome in the oldest Capitoline Museum, attracting over 500,000 visitors yearly!

Enjoy exploring the eight sections of the museum, each with its art displays from the 16th and 17th-century Roman civilization. 

Visitors planning to explore the museums must know all about the rooms and their artworks to plan an easy-to-follow itinerary in advance.

In this article, we’ll discover all the art galleries in the Capitoline Hill Museum in-depth and some of the best artworks! 

A minimum of 2 hours is required to explore the Capitoline Museum completely; However, if you don’t have that much of time but still want the best experience, these are some artworks you must see!

These artworks are some of the most iconic from Rome, each crafted with unique techniques by some of the most famous artists worldwide.

Marcus Aurelius’s Equestrian Statue: A mighty Middle Age statue of Marcus Aurelius, a philosopher and Roman Emperor, riding a horse. 

Marforio Statue: A grand statue of the River God Oceanus, taken from Emperor Augustus’s Forum. 

Capitoline Venus: Replica of a fourth-century statue, showing the Goddess Venus coming out of a river naked. 

Capitoline Wolf: The symbolic statue of Rome, showing the founders Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf who raised them. 

Dying Galata: An emotional sculpture of a dying Gaul who refuses to accept death after being murdered by Pergamon’s King Atlas I. 

The Colossal Statue of Constantine: A massive third-century broken statue of Emperor Constantine’s head, feet, and hands.  

The Mosaic of the Pigeons: A 2nd-century delicate mosaic of glass and marble pigeons from Emperor Hadrian’s villa. 

Spinario: A unique 1st-century sculpture of a man taking out a thorn from his foot.  

Medusa’s Bust: This sculpture shows Bernini’s realistic portrayal of the famous snake-haired woman Medusa from Greek mythology. 

Let’s look at the eight different galleries of the Capitoline Museum and their different halls and art displays for those who want to explore the entire museum! 

Apartment dei Conservatori (Conservator’s Apartment)

The oldest part of the Capitoline Museums is the Apartment dei Conservatori, housing the bronze statues gifted by Pope Sixtus IV in 1471.

The apartment was previously used as a public and secret council meeting space.

Its walls are covered with artistic 16th-century frescos, and the apartment has beautiful carved ceilings and doors with stucco detailing. 

The apartment is divided into nine halls, each having its unique collection. Here are some details on them:

• Hall of the Orazi and Curiazi: Displaying a collection of ancient Roman frescos and paintings designed by Giuseppe Cesari. You can also see the carved busts of Pope Urban VIII by Bernini and Pope Innocent X by Alessandro Algardi.

• Hall of the Captains: Learn more about Rome’s war history by admiring Tommaso Laureti’s frescos. The beautiful ceiling by Francesco Allegrini is as stunning as the Sistine Chapel, depicting the Jerusalem Liberated poem.

• Hall of Hannibal: Covered in frescos depicting Rome’s wars against Carthage. The hall has carved corner pillars and is divided by Roman General bust sculptures. 

• Chapel: To worship the Virgin Mary and Saints Peter and Paul, with walls covered in frescos telling their life stories. 

• Tapestry Room/ Throne Room: It houses beautiful tapestries telling the story of Scipio Africanus’s life and depictions of famous sculptures from the Vatican Museum.

• Hall of Triumphs: The famous Spinario sculpture and oldest Capitoline Brutus painting is in this hall. The hall has a unique wooden ceiling with attractive colors. 

• Hall of the Wolf: Housing the famous Capitoline Wolf and tablets from 16th century Rome belonging to Emperor Augustus, this hall is quite renowned. 

• Hall of Geese: It is known to house Bernin’s famous Medusa head and various bronze geese statues. You can also see a wooden ceiling painted with vibrant rosette and shield designs. 

• Hall of Eagles: Named after two marble Eagle sculptures in the hall, the hall houses the famous Goddess Diana’s statue. 

Museo del Palazzo dei Conservatori 

A massive section of the old Temple of Jupiter can be seen in the Museo del Palazzo dei Conservatori.

It also houses some of the ancient bronze statues donated by Pope Sixtus IV and covers two floors of the Capitoline Museum exhibitions area. 

Some of the sections you can enjoy exploring in the Museum are: 

• The Courtyard: An open-air space housing the remains of the prison of Emperor Hadrian on the left and the famous remains of Constantine Colossal statue on the right. 

• The Staircase: You can see colored marble designs from the Basilica of Giunio Basso. There are also panels showing essential events from the lives of Emperor Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. 

• Castellani Halls:  Augusto Castellani’s 700-piece Eturia, Lazio, and Magna Graecia collection. It includes a marvelous bronze chariot carved with scenes from the life of Achilles, the hero, ceramics, etc. The hall also has a 300-piece collection from the Industrial Art Museum. 

• Halls of Modern Glory: Inscriptions taken from Roman magistrates from 1640. 

• Halls of the Horti Lamiani: Items and marble sculptures from the 19th-century excavations at Horti Lamiani. The famous reclining torso of Dionysus and Commodus as Hercules is in this collection. 

• Halls of Horti Tauriani-Vettiani: Marble statues from the Augustan Age. 

• Halls of the Gardens of Maecenas: The famous fountain in the shape of a drinking horn and other marble items from the Horti di Maecenas’ oldest residential gardens. 

• Horti Gallery: Portraits from Horti dell’Esquilino and marble craters with reliefs from Horti Vettiani. 

• Exedra of Marcus Aurelius: A space dedicated to displaying the famous equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. 

• Area of the Temple of Capitoline Jupiter: Here, you can see some of the excavated items and reconstructed remains from the ancient Temple of Jupiter.

• Middle Ages Hall: The famous statue of Charles I of Anjou and other sculptures showing the middle-age history of Capitoline Hill. 

Pinacoteca Capitolina (Capitoline Art Gallery)

The Capitoline Art Gallery is divided into nine rooms, housing the oldest public collection of paintings.

It is on the second floor of Palazzo dei Conservatori and has paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Caravaggio, Titian, and Rubens’ masterpieces are in the gallery’s famous Sachetti and Pio di Savoia collections!

Caravaggio’s Good Fortune and St. John Baptist paintings are the major highlights of the Capitoline Art Gallery.

This gallery is highly recommended for artists as the paintings help you discover the art trends from sixteenth and seventeenth-century Rome and Baroque art!

Pilgrims can also see many famous paintings of Angels and Saints in this collection.

The collection is a favorite among history lovers, as it houses the mythical painting of Romulus and Remus by Paul Rubens!

Cini’s massive porcelain collection of Chinese vases and other delicate statues from 1881 is also one of the most visited collections in the museum in this gallery. 

Palazzo Clementino Caffarelli 

The Palazzo Clementino Caffarelli collection has been a part of the museum since 2000.

It comprises two rooms with ancient wooden ceiling frescos and many pediments. 

The Hall of Frescos, also known as the Hall of St. Peter, is named after the fresco showing St. Peter healing the injured in front of the Jerusalem Temple. 

Don’t forget to look closely at the hall’s guided wooden doors, which have unique carvings!

You can also see the busts of Emperors Hadrian and Tiberus in the Hall of Frescos. 

The Pediment Hall has a massive display of terracotta pediments from Via di San Gregorio!

The most famous is the 2nd-century Roman Temple pediment, which shows animals being sacrificed to Mars and two other female deities.

You can also see a relief showing Heracles fighting a sea monster! 

Palazzo Nuovo (New Palace)

The eighteenth-century layout of the Palazzo Nuovo houses the private collections of wealthy families from Rome.

Michelangelo designed the layout of the New Palace.

You can see the Albani collection of 418 sculptures donated by Pope Clement XII, and the palace is divided into thirteen other areas, they are:  

• The Courtyard: The famous Marforio fountain from the 2nd century highlights the courtyard. You can also see statues of satyrs and columns carved with scenes from Egypt. 

• Egyptian Hall: Displays artworks from the Iseum of Campus Martis, a sanctuary for Egyptian deities in Rome. 

• The Lobby: It houses niches with giant statues of Minerva, Mars, Emperor Hadrian, and other important Roman figures. Funeral epigraphs are also in the lobby. 

• Earthly Rooms: Three small rooms displaying epigraphs, sarcophagi, and other portraits. 

• The Staircase: Bust sculptures, sarcophagi, and parts of epigraphs. 

• The Gallery: Over 100 Roman replicas of famous Greek statues and busts. You can see figures of Leda with the Swan,  Eros bending his bow, and the action-packed figure of Hercules fighting a Hydra. 

• Hall of Doves: Named after the famous dove mosaic from Hadrian’s villa in Tivoli, the hall displays around 80 portraits of famous Roman people. You can also see some Trojan War texts and some from Pompey as well. 

• Cabinet of Venus: The famous Capitoline Venus stands at the center of this room, donated by Pope Benedict XIV in 1752. 

• Hall of the Emperors: Historians will enjoy seeing 67 portraits of Roman Emperors and members of their families. In the hall, you can see portraits of Emperor Nero, Augustus, Hadrian, and others. 

• Hall of Philosophers: Busts of famous Greek and Roman philosophers, like Homer, Socrates, and many more, are displayed in this hall. 

• The Lounge Area: This area has a unique ceiling with the coat of arms at the center. You can also see statues of mythological figures from ancient Greece and Rome in this area. 

• Hall of the Faun: Named after the statue of the Faun in red marble at the center, the hall houses statues from the Villa Adriana and those donated by Pope Benedict XIV.

• Gladiator’s Hall: The hall houses the famous Dying Gaul statue and many other mythological statues, including Cupid and Psyche, a satyr at rest, and a statue of Juno. 

Tabularium 

The shortcut from the Lapidary Gallery leads to the Tabularium, from where you can see Capitoline Hill’s Temple of Veiove.

The Tabularium used to be packed with official Roman documents of the law engraved on bronze tablets!

The remains of the Temple of Veiove were spotted when construction to connect the two Capitoline palaces took place in the 1930s. 

The famous statue of Veiove, without a head, was excavated and can now be seen in the Transversal Gallery of the Tabularium. 

The gallery has preserved remains of the pavilion vaults and a marble architrave from the Temple of Concordia, which was in the Roman Forum, from the 1st century. 

The Foundation compartment of the Tabularium shows you the remains of the 2nd-century earthenware flooring with mosaics from the Temple of Jupiter. 

Medagliere Capitolino (Capitoline Medal Collection)

The Capitoline Medal Collection houses four large cabinets, including a vast collection of coins, medals, and jewelry from 1872.

The museum is believed to have around 40,000 coins from ancient Rome, Europe, and from the age of the Byzantine Empire!  

The collection has 9,251 coins minted in Central Europe and a large collection of rare European gems. 

You can also see ancient Roman coins, 9,074 in number, from the Augusto Castellini’s private collection!

The museum also purchased 456 Roman and Byzantine coins from Marquis Giampietro Campana, who held the Albani Family collection from the 1800s.

Capitoline Museum has a unique collection of 2,366 medal pieces from Giulio Bignami and many seals and medals from the Orsini family’s collection. 

Some other treasures uncovered from Piazza del Campidoglio, Via Alessandrina, and the Tower of Militia storage room from 1937 are also part of this display.

They also display the presently used Roman coins to preserve for future generations. 

Galleria Lapideria (Lapidary Gallery)

The Lapidary Gallery is an underground tunnel connecting the Capitoline galleries since the 1930s.

The gallery displays 130 Roman-era marble inscriptions from 1957, which opened to the public after the gallery’s renovation in 2005.

These inscriptions cover both the corridor walls of the gallery and are divided into sections, some of which are on:

• Languages
• Professions 
• Trade
• Tombs and worship
• Gaming
• Law and the Roman Aristocrats
• Road and aqueduct information
• Roman military

The gallery also has a computer station, allowing visitors to check images of all the 1,400 inscriptions not on display online!

The Lapidary Gallery is recommended for visually impaired visitors, as they have a replica model of Palazzo Senatorio with braille explanation panels.  

FAQs on What to see Inside Capitoline Museums 

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