Explorations of my favorite city in the world’s museums.
Rome is one of those cities that is known for many things, ancient ruins, museums, the Vatican and, of course, pizza. This post is going to focus on those fabulous museums. I have been to Rome five times (2009, 2011, 2016, 2019, and 2024), and there are still museums I have yet to visit. There are just so many, and I keep going back to my favorites.
Not all of Rome’s museums are encased in four walls. The Colosseum and the Ancient Forum are museums in their own right, but since I visited those already in my first Wandering Rome post, I will focus on a handful of the others I truly found spectacular. However, the Vatican Museums will have to wait until my post on the Vatican.
*Note: This post was originally published in 2018 featuring photos and museums from a 2016 visit. This post was updated in April 2026, with more museums and replacing some 2016 pictures with those taken in 2024 (much better camera than in 2016) .*
Check out these amazing museums in Rome:
Let’s start with my favorite museum in Rome, the Capitoline Museums. Overlooking the Roman Forum, the museum was built one of the Seven Hills of Rome. The Capitoline Museums house a large array of Ancient Roman to Renaissance art, including Baroque frescoes painted in the Palazzo dei Conservatori featuring scenes from the history of Rome, ancient statues, Renaissance paintings, one of the best views of the Roman Forum from the basement of the Palazzo del Senatore and a cafe to take in some of the best views of Rome.
Wandering Jana
A very weird staircase brings you up to a piazza designed by Michelangelo himself. The Palazzo del Senatore (Rome’s city hall) is in the center. The Capitoline Museums buildings are on either side.
You enter the museums in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, which used to be used for local magistrates. The courtyard is just a start to the amazingness. Check out the giant head of Constantine the Great on the right.
Jana Irving So many frescoes.
Jana Irving It also has what is probably one of the most gruesome frescoes ever.
Jana Irving The symbol of Rome. the Capitoline Wolf. The wolf itself is ancient, the infants, Romulus and Remus, are not.
Wandering Jana Just a lovely chapel.
Jana Irving One of my favorite frescoes is that features Hannibal and his elephant from the ancient Punic Wars. Even though the war happened in ancient times, everyone is wearing medieval clothing.
In the basement of the Palazzo del Senatore, there is an amazing view of the Ancient Roman Forum. It can be reached via a passageway that connects the Palazzo dei Conservatori to the Palazzo Nuovo on the other side of the plaza.
Jana Irving Palazzo Nuovo was built later than Palazzo dei Conservatori. It may look the same on the outside, but it is very different on the inside. Much more white.
Jana Irving There are multiple rooms of just heads here. It’s kind of weird, honestly.
Another gem of a museum, Castel Sant’Angelo, was mentioned in my first Wandering Rome post. The castle started its life as the Mausoleum of Hadrian. The Romans realized it would make a good castle and defensive walls were built on top. The Popes soon took it over (being conveniently close to the Vatican) and turned it into a proper castle, including fine decorated rooms.
The Ponte Sant’Angelo (Holy Angels Bridge) leads you to the gate of the Castel Sant’Angelo.
To reach the museum at the top, you have to walk around this winding path and then a bunch of steps. It would not have been easy to invade.
You exit the passageway to a small courtyard with another passage leading to the Papal rooms.
Jana Irving And they sure are stunning. This one was probably decorated during the Renaissance.
Jana Irving More Renaissance.
Jana Irving A fantastic ceiling.
Jana Irving This room was inspired by Ancient Roman designs.
Last but not least, the amazing view of St. Peter’s Basilica from the roof.
Many of the museums in Rome today are converted palazzi (large fancy homes and palaces, even offices). Not only do you see art on the walls, but even the original decorations of the rooms themselves. These are just fantastic.
Palazzo Barberini has a fine collection of Italian art. The Baroque facade is just lovely.
Jana Irving However, its most famous feature is on the ceiling of the grand salon, the Allegory of Divine Providence and Barberini Power, completed in 1639. How would you like something like that on your ceiling.
The Villa Farnesina was built in the early 16th century in what used to be a suburban area of Rome. The villa is amazing to say the least. Just look at this room. I’m in love.
Jana Irving And then there is this room which used to be an open air seating area. The windows are all modern.
Jana Irving Close up of that wonderful ceiling.
Jana Irving Upstairs are more rooms, very similar to the Capitoline Museums.
Wandering Jana This whole room was decorated with a wedding theme as a gift.
The National Roman Museums are scattered throughout town in old palaces and a monastery. Each one focuses on a different aspect of Roman art and culture, mostly ancient but some Renaissance era art as well.
Jana Irving The National Roman Museum, the Baths of Diocletian was built into an old monastery that was built in the ruins of the ancient Baths of Diocletian, designed by none other than Michelangelo himself.
Jana Irving While this museum mainly focuses on writings, they do have a reconstructed Roman tomb. Each one of those niches would have contained an urn.
Next is the Palazzo Altemps, which focuses mainly on sculpture, both ancient and Renaissance, and the original artwork of the palazzo.
Jana Irving This palazzo has the most amazing loggia.
Jana Irving Just a lovely private chapel for the people that used to live here. This palazzo was built originally in the 15th century but was later taken over by the Pope. It became a museum in 1997.
More museums from 2024 visit!
Here’s a quick list of more museums I saw in 2024. Check out my posts from 2024 for more.
The Borghese Gallery, an art gallery housed in a Borghese family villa. It’s all insane like this. Tip: Pre-buy your ticket as soon as you can!
Wandering Jana Palazzo Corsini. It is a small museum but shares the same ticket with the Palazzo Barberini.
Jana Irving The Doria Pamphilj Gallery, a private palazzo/art museum.
Jana Irving Palazzo Braschi – Museo di Roma. Another lovely art museum.
There are so many amazing museums in Rome, and I have only showed you a handful. These are just a few of my favorites, but not all of them. I just have enough space to show what all Rome has to offer. You can visit a million times and still find other places to see and explore.
Explore the Vatican in the next post in the Wandering Rome series.
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