Inaugurated in 1734, with an exhibition area of more than 12.900 m2, Capitoline Museums are considered to be the oldest museum of the whole human history.
Its history, in fact, can be traced back to 1471. In this year Pope Sixtus IV decided to donate an important collection of bronzes to the City which decided to locate them on the Capitoline hill, one of the seven hills where Rome was founded on. Since then, the collection has started grown year after year. In 1734, thanks to the efforts of the Pope Clement XII, the Capitoline Museums were finally opened to the public, making it the first museum in the world. Indeed, for the first time in history, a place where all the people could enjoy the art was finally created.
The museum found its place on one of the most important hills of the whole city. The hill, since the foundation of Rome, has always been considered as the main one. The Campidoglio means, in fact, where the lawful institutions are located. Today still, on the top of the hill, the mayor finds her place.
The museum is divided into two main buildings: Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo. Both of them find their place on the square that was made by Michelangelo in 1536. The third building, Senatorial Palace, is not part of the museum itself, but it completes the beautiful landscape of the hill.
The museum hosts more than 500.000 visitors every year thanks to the many masterpieces it contains. Among them, there are definitely the Capitoline Wolf, the main symbol of the city of Rome. A copy of the statue of Marcus Aurelius can be admired at the center of the square as well as the original one can be admired inside the museum. Caravaggio and Bernini are just two of the several names the collection of the museum hosts.
Alongside with the Vatican Museums, the Capitoline Museums are the most important museum structure in the whole city. Even from far away, people from all the world, can enjoy a virtual tour of this magnificent structure.
Enjoy your visit!
