Rome Museums: 10Best Museum Reviews

The Baths of Diocletian (the largest imperial baths) was once the exclusive home of the Museo Nazionale Romano when it opened its doors in 1889. Throughout the years, the museum expanded so much that in 2000, it spread itself out over four different sites including the original and authentic baths. Palazzo Massimo is considered one of the leading archaeological museums because of its extensive collection of relics. Some of the museum’s greatest treasures are: the collection of original Greek sculptures, the vast coin collection and the ancient Christian sarcophagi. BUS: C, H, 38, 40, 70, 71, 105, 714 or 910. METRO: Repubblica or Termini

Right in the center of the city in the pretty Piazza di Spagna is the apartment where the great English and romantic poet, John Keats spent the last days of his life. The poet was best known for his poems “Ode to a Nightingale” and “She Walks in Beauty”. This apartment was later turned into a small museum, which showcases various important letters, memorabilia, manuscripts, paintings and books that document the lives of Keats and ercy Bysshe Shelley, as well as Byron, Wordsworth, Robert Browning, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Hunt and Oscar Wilde. Guided tours are available by appointment. Metro: Spagna.

The Palazzo Barberini is truly one of Rome’s most precious palaces and a pioneer of Baroque style. Three great masterminds were commissioned by Barberini Pope Urban VIII to create the lavish 17th century palace: Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini and Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Since 1949, the palazzo has served as the National Gallery of Antique Art. The first floor of the gallery is a favorite among art lovers for its fine collection of 16th and 17th works including Raphael’s “Fornarina,” Caravaggio’s “Judith Beheading Holofernes” and other paintings by Lippi and Guido Reni. Also to be admired is the noble spiraling staircase created by Borromini. BUS: 62, 150, 175, 492. METRO: Barberini

With its dominant presence looming over the Tiber River, it’s hard not to marvel at the immense landmark, Castel Sant’Angelo. The castle was originally built to serve as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian but in the 6th century, was turned into a papal fortress. Thanks to secret passage ways (as featured in the blockbuster hit Angels and Demons), popes were able to escape from danger to various palaces within the Vatican. Today, the castle has a museum where visitors can keep themselves entertained by the trap doors, ditches, draw bridges, dungeons, weapons and papal apartments. The castle also has a lovely terrace offering spectacular views of the Roman city skyline. BUS: 80, 87, 280, 492. METRO: Lepanto

The Complesso del Vittoriano is an exhibition space located in the same space as the Vittoriano monument which is in honor of Vittorio Emanuele, the first King of unified Italy and the Altare della Patria (alter in the name of the motherland). It sits in the center of Rome in Piazza Venezia and to most foreigners, it’s known as the Wedding Cake because it is big, tall and white. The exhibition hall has showcased great painters such as Van Gogh, Chagall, Picasso, Giotto and Mondrian. The complex features a panoramic rooftop terrace, an exhibition hall as well as three museums.

When Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1579–1633), a lucrative art collector, decided to build a palace in Rome, his plans were big. His vision for the perfect palace was an abode that exuded over-the-top luxury and a fabulous park to go along with it. The result was the Casino Borghese where the Galleria Borghese is today. The Casino was orginally built to boast his lavish pieces of art and for elite social gatherings and parties. Today, the Galleria Borghese is one of the of the most important museums in Rome thanks to its rich collection of Baroque and Renaissance art featuring works by Bernini, Raphael and Caravaggio. BUS: 116, 490, 495, 49. TRAM: 19, 3. METRO: Flamino or Spagna.

The new kid on the block in Rome is the MAXXI museum (Museo di Arte del XXI Secolo) which opened in 2010 in the Flaminio area. The museum has the famous Iraqi-born architect Zaha Hadid to thank for its stunning 60 million euro design and creation. The MAXXI holds some of Italy’s most prized contemporary pieces of art and is divided into two sections, namely “MAXXI art” and “MAXXI architecture”. It also contains a library specializing in art and architecture and galleries where exhibitions and special performances are held. The museum also takes part in the annual Rome International Film Festival held in November. TRAM:2. BUS: 53, 217, 280, 910.

What was once the location of the brewery of famed Italian beer Peroni, is now the industrial space where Rome’s uber sleek contemporary art museum, the MACRO is located. The museum recently underwent a massive makeover, giving it a stylish and modern steel and glass exterior design. MACRO often showcases light installations, contemporary and pop artworks by world-renowned and emerging Italian and international artists. The collection covers pieces dating back to the 1960s through today including exhibits of works by all of Italy’s post world war two artists. The museum has another site which has been built where Rome’s old slaughterhouse was housed in the Testaccio area. BUS: 80, 38.

Visiting the Eternal City and not making a stop at the Vatican Museums is almost like breaking one of the ten commandments. It’s where some of the world’s greatest art collection is stored. The Vatican Museums are actually apart of the Vatican palaces, where popes have lived since the 1200s. Inside you’ll find works such as Egyptian relics, Etruscan artifacts, Renaissance paintings and Greek and Roman sculptures and busts, all housed in maze of apartments, galleries and palaces. Let’s also not forget about, perhaps what many consider to be the true gem of it all, the Sistine Chapel where Michelangelo’s famous Last Judgement can be seen. Entrance is free on the last Sunday of the month (9:00am-2:00pm), with last entry 90 minutes before doors close.
From Monday to Saturday (9:00am-6:00pm), last entry is 2 hours before closure time. Metro: stations Ottaviano-Musei Vaticani; Cipro. Bus: 49. Tram: 19.

Perched atop the Campidoglio hill, is one of Rome’s most prominent museums, the Capitoline Museums. What makes this museum so famous is the vast amount of ancient sculptures, relics and archeological finds uncovered in and around Rome, all on display here. Visitors can witness a wide range of relics dating back to first century BC through 17th century AD. The real show stoppers are: the gargantuan statue of the great Marcus Aurelius riding a horse, a bust of the immense statue of Constantine and an ancient sculpture of the she-wolf suckling the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. BUS: 44, 64, 70, 75, 170, 492 or 628.