The Capitoline Museums are arranged around Piazza del Campidoglio.The buildings of the Capitoline Museums were designed by Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1536, in order to house a collection of bronze statuary donated to the Roman people in 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV. The museum, which crowns the Capitoline Hill and surrounds the Piazza del Campidoglio, is well worth the visit.
Things to See
The treasures of the Capitoline Museums include the original version of the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius (the one in the middle of the Piazza is a copy). The famous bronze statue of a she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus is here, as is Bernini's Bust of Medusa.
The Dying Gaul
One of The Capitoline's best-known residents is The Dying Gaul. It's is a much-copied statue, although it is itself a Roman copy of a lost Greek original. First created in the third century BC, it was discovered in the 17th century, taken to Paris by Napoleon in the 18th century, and finally returned to Rome in 1815.
Visiting the Capitoline Museums
Thanks to their central location, its easy to reach the Capitoline Museums. The closest metro stops are Cavour and Colosseo, both on Linea B.
Opening hours Open 9am-8pm Tuesday-Sunday. Closed Mondays, 1st January, 1st May & 25th December. Open 9am-2pm 24th and 31st December. The ticket-office closes an hour earlier.
Tickets Tickets to the Capitoline Museums cost €12/€10 including entry to exhibitions. The Capitolini Card costs a little more and includes entrance to Museo Centrale Montemartini.