Museums

When thinking of Rome, the first thought is of the Colosseum and other ancient Roman monuments, the second one probably of the Basilica of Saint Peter and Rome’s other basilicas and churches and the third one of the narrow alleys and streets and picturesque squares in the center.

Then the Sistine Chapel will spring to mind, one of the most emblematic tourist attractions of Rome. Though many people seem to think the Sistine Chapel is inside Saint Peter’s Basilica itself, in reality it can be found inside the Vatican Museums. Not only because of the presence of this masterpiece is the Vatican Museum the most important museum in the Eternal City, Raphael’s rooms and hundreds of other masterpieces can be found here.

Other important museums dealing with ancient Rome are the Museo Nazionale Romano, which is divided over four different locations, and the Capitoline Museums.

More recent works can be seen in Rome’s most famous gallery, the Galleria Borghese in the Villa of the same name. Bernini and Canova are the most prominent sculptors having their art displayed here. The Villa Borghese is a bit of a museum park anyway, since the underrated Modern Art Museum and the excellent Etruscan Museum are also located here.

Of the modern museums the most famous one are the MACRO and the MAXXI. There are also a number of museums dealing with certain periods of Roman history and several museums dealing with certain subjects only.