Thanks to its 2,500-year-long history, Rome is one of the most diverse and culturally rich cities in the world. Despite its being one of the largest European capitals, the Eternal City is rather simple to visit, since most museums and cultural attractions are located in its central neighborhoods.
Our suggestion is to move across the city on foot (if you like walking), by taxi, or by the underground network, since the road traffic is notoriously cluttered in Rome and the public bus and tram system is often unreliable and overcrowded.
In a nutshell, there are three main groups of museums and cultural sites in Rome (and the Vatican City): of archaeology, of old master’s and Renaissance art, and modern and contemporary art. Overall, they hold many stunning art masterpieces second to none in the world. Furthermore, artworks in Rome are often surrounded by buildings which are architectural masterpieces in themselves.
Our final suggestion is: don’t hurry in Rome, the city has its own, quite relaxed, pace and requires you to adapt to it to fully enjoy its unique personality.
Above: the Colosseum amphitheater (in the background) and the Domus Aurea walls (on the right) from via Labicana. Photo © Riccardo Bianchini / Inexhibit.
Baths of Caracalla – Rome
Roma - Viale delle Terme di Caracalla n° 52
closed: Mondays, January 1 and December 25
The Baths of Caracalla in central Rome (Terme di Caracalla in Italian) is a large archaeological site, a museum, and one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings
Baths of Diocletian, Rome
Roma - Viale Enrico de Nicola, 79
closed: Mondays, January 1 and December 25
The Baths of Diocletian are an archaeological site in Rome, restored and modified by Michelangelo in the 16th century, and a museum of classical antiquities
Centrale Montemartini Archaeological Museum, Rome
Roma - Via Ostiense, 106
closed: Mondays, 1 January, 1 May and 25 December
The Centrale Montemartini is an archaeology museum in Rome, focused on Classical sculpture, housed in a former power station built in the early 20th century
Cloister of Bramante – Rome
Roma - Arco della Pace, 5
closed: open daily
The Chiostro del Bramante in Rome is a 16th century building and gallery, part of the Santa Maria della Pace complex, famous for its frescoes by Raphael
Colosseum – Flavian Amphitheater, Rome
Roma - Piazza del Colosseo
closed: open daily, except January 1 and December 25
The Colosseum or Flavian Amphitheater in Rome is a monumental building dating to the 1st century AD and one of the world's most visited archaeological sites
Doria Pamphilj Gallery – Rome
Roma - via del Corso, 305
closed: Open daily, except January 1, Easter, and December 25
The Doria Pamphilj Gallery in Rome features a collection of old masters' paintings and sculptures, including the portrait of Pope Innocent X by Velázquez
Ertruscan Necropolis of Cerveteri
Cerveteri - Via della Necropoli 43/45
closed: Mondays, Christmas day and New Year’s Day
The necropolis “Banditaccia” in Cerveteri, near Rome, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest Etruscan archaeological site
Galleria Borghese, Rome
Roma - Piazzale del Museo Borghese
closed: Mondays;, January 1, December 25
The Galleria Borghese is an art museum in Rome, in the middle of the Villa Borghese Gardens, with a collection of works from Antiquity to the 18th century
Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Rome
Roma - viale delle Belle Arti 131
closed: Mondays, January 1 and December 25
The GNAM - Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome is a modern art museum focused on 19th and 20th century painting and sculpture
Imperial Fora Museum and Trajan’s Markets – Rome
Roma - Via IV Novembre, 94
closed: Mondays, January 1, May 1, and December 25
Located in the Trajan's Market, the Museum of Imperial Fora (Museo dei Fori Imperiali) in Rome is both a museum of ancient art and an archaeological site
MACRO Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome
Roma - via Nizza, 138
closed: Mondays
The MACRO is a contemporary art museum in Rome. Designed by architect Odile Decq on the site of a disused brewery, it mostly features special exhibitions
MAXXI – National Museum of XXI Century Arts, Rome
Roma - via Via Guido Reni, 4/A
closed: Mondays
The MAXXI is the most important museum of modern and contemporary arts and architecture in Rome and a futuristic building by Zaha Hadid
Musei Capitolini – Capitoline Museums, Rome
Roma - Piazza del Campidoglio, 1
closed: Open daily, except January 1, May 1 and December 25
The Musei Capitolini (Capitoline Museums) in Rome, located on Michelangelo's Campidoglio square, are one of the largest and oldest fine art museums in Italy
Museo Ebraico di Roma – Jewish Museum of Rome & Great Synagogue
Roma - Lungotevere de' Cenci
closed: Sarturday and major Jewish holidays (see text)
Housed in Great Synagogue in the former Roman Ghetto, the Jewish Museum of Rome (Museo Ebraico di Roma) presents the history and culture of the oldest Jewish community in Europe
Museum of the Ara Pacis – Rome
Roma - Lungotevere in Augusta
closed: Open daily except January 1, May 1, and December 25
The archaeological museum of the Ara Pacis in Rome, designed by Richard Meier, houses a Roman monumental altar dedicated to the Roman Peace goddess
National Roman Museum – Palazzo Massimo, Rome
Roma - Largo Villa Peretti, 2
closed: Mondays, January 1 and December 25
Palazzo Massimo is a museum in Rome which holds most of the collection of the National Roman Museum, one of the most visited archaeological museums in Italy
Palazzo Altemps, Rome
Roma - Piazza di S. Apollinare, 46
closed: Mondays, January 1 and December 25
Palazzo Altemps in Rome is a renowned museum of Classical sculpture, part of the National Roman Museum, and an Italian Renaissance palace near Piazza Navona
Pantheon, Rome
Roma - Piazza della Rotonda
closed: open daily, except January 1, May 1, and December 25
The Pantheon in Rome is a monumental building, dating back to the Roman imperial period, a catholic church, and one of Italy's most visited cultural sites
Scuderie del Quirinale, Rome
Roma - Via XXIV Maggio, 16
closed: Monday
The Scuderie del Quirinale exhibition centre hosts prominent art exhibitions. its palace was built in the 18th century on the Roman Temple of Serapis
Vatican Museums – Rome
Roma - Viale Vaticano
closed: Sundays; January 1 and 6, February 11, March 19 and 28, June 29, August 15, November 1, December 8 and 26
The Vatican Museums is an exceptional ensemble of art galleries in the Vatican Palaces, Rome, which also includes the Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms
Zaha Hadid – The MAXXI Museum Rome – part 2
The MAXXI museum in Rome by ZHA. Part 2: the architecture of the building complex, structural concept, use of concrete, collections and exhibition spaces
Zaha Hadid – The MAXXI Museum Rome – part 1
The MAXXI museum in Rome by Zaha Hadid Architects. Part 1: background and site, development of the project, architectural concept, the design competition
LOW FORM. Visions in the Age of Artificial Intelligence at the MAXXI in Rome
The exhibition “LOW FORM. Imaginaries and Visions in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” takes place until 24 February 2019 at the MAXXI in Rome.
Roma | l’oasi selvaggia di Studio D3R vince YAP Rome at MAXXI 2018
Green Gallery – progetto dello studio tedesco STUDIOD3R con Marcello Fantuz – è la proposta eco-sostenibile vincitrice di YAP Rome at MAXXI 2018
Rome | 4 contemporary “Transformers” at MAXXI
Transformers: visionary installations of contemporary art and designs by Choi Jeong-Hwa, Didier Fiuza Faustino, Martino Gamper and Pedro Reyes at MAXXI Rome
Rome | Bellissima – The legend of Fashion
The exhibition "Bellissima.Italy and High Fashion 1945-1968" recreates at the MAXXI Museum a period that established the international fame of Italian Style
Rome | OMOC: installations transform MAXXI
From 24 October 2014, on the occasion of the OMOC (Open Museum Open City), the MAXXI, Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI secolo, changes its face
copyright Inexhibit 2022 - ISSN: 2283-5474
