Capitoline Museums Tour

Discover Ancient Rome in the oldest public museum in the world
From US$431 privately
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Tour Details
Duration
3 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Capitoline Museums
  • The Fortune Teller
  • The Burial of St. Petronilla
  • Romulus and Remus
Photos & Highlights
  • Focuses on the history of the most significant pieces of Roman and Italian treasures
  • Led by an art historian, classicist, or archaeologist
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Tour Description

Delve into Roman History among treasures of its past in the oldest public museum in the world.


The Capitoline Museums, the oldest public museum in the world, provide a unique opportunity to trace the entire history of Rome through an eclectic collection of art and artifacts, covering Roman and Italian treasures ranging from antique bronzes and marble busts to Renaissance paintings and frescoes. Explore this fascinating story in the company of an art historian, classicist, or archaeologist on our Capitoline Museums tour (also known as the Musei Capitolini). The museum complex is a monument in its own right:  the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo stand elegantly on the Michelangelo-designed Piazza del Campidoglio.

Capitoline Museums Tour

Here, in Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio, we begin under the gaze of the reproduction of Marcus Aurelius' bronze equestrian statue, discussing the history of the museum and its location on Capitoline Hill, along with other important buildings, such as the Tabularium, where Rome's city hall is currently located, Palazzo dei Conservatori, and Palazzo Nuovo. We will examine the collection, founded around 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV, who donated an assortment of bronze statues to the Roman people as a symbolic gesture of the Pope's relationship with his community. The majority of the treasures contained in the Capitoline Museums have a direct link with Rome's past, giving visitors the unique opportunity to observe thousands of years of Roman artistic, political, and social history. From this vantage point, we are also afforded a breathtaking view of the Forum (also the subject of our Forum Tour) and Palatine Hill, which sets up the context for what is housed within the museum.

Take-Aways

Our walk through the museum is not meant to showcase the entire collection, but rather to focus on the most significant pieces for understanding the art and architecture of antiquity. Treasures such as the newly restored equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius, the foundations of the temple to Jupiter Capitolinus, the colossal statue of Emperor Constantine, marble busts of noblemen and patricians, and bas-reliefs with scenes from Roman history allow us to view the wide range of materials and forms used in ancient art.

Those looking to learn more about Roman antiquity would also be well-served by our Colosseum Tour.

FAQ

Are the Capitoline Museums accessible?
There are many stairs in the Capitoline Museums, and some of the works of art we will discuss are located on the stairwells. There are a few small elevators in some areas of the museum but in many cases, the only way to move from floor to floor is to take the stairs. Anyone with limited mobility should be aware that there will be many stairs to climb on this walk.

Do you reserve headsets for this tour? 
Depending on your group size, we may be required by the venue to order headsets in which case you’ll see a “Headset Fee” added to your order. If you would like to guarantee headsets for your tour regardless of your group size, please email us and we’ll be happy to get them reserved for you.

Where You'll Start
69 Reviews (4.88)

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Dimo was an incredible guide. Clearly a scholar of architecture, art history & archaeology- he made the hours spent with him fly by. He was a terrific storyteller and found ways to connect with our teenage son that enlivened the whole afternoon. And he clearly knew every inch of the museum, finding delightful anecdotes around every corner. We felt so lucky to have met Dimo!
Great tour, highly recommend. Our guide Guido's passion and vast knowledge of the museums and Rome's history made it one of the best guided tours we've ever been on.
First of all, we were very pleased that Context was able to fulfill our wish to have Dimo for this tour -- many thanks for this! He provided us with a "master class" at the Capitoline Museums, and we would like to give him top scores all around. He not only did a deep dive into most of the masterpieces in this museum, he gave us extremely interesting information about things we would never have even looked at had we gone through the museum on our own. Dimo is not only extremely knowledgeable, he shares his knowledge in a very generous, passionate and enjoyable way. He is a pleasure to spend time with, and we loved every minute of this tour. This was our second tour with Dimo during this trip to Rome and both tours have been the absolute highlights of our trip. Many, many thanks to both Context and to Dimo! We look forward to more tours with Context and Dimo in the future!