Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome

4 more images

The visit to this museum was one of the highlights of my last visit to Rome. This is the main building of the Rome archaeological museum, and encompasses the periods from the 2nd century BC (late Republican) to 5th century AD. The objects are arranged in a very clear and didactic order, and are displayed in the best viewing conditions, lighting etc. There are interesting explanations in English (and in Italian), telling the story of the artwork and the period.

The archaeological museum of Rome was founded in 1889, intended to house the important ancient items found while constructing new roads and neighborhoods in the city of Rome. It used to be in the Baths of Diocletianus and the cloisters of Santa Maria degli Angeli, across the road from Termini, but space there got too small to house the newer additions to the museum's collection: Items discovered underground, which the Italian State got possession of according to new legislation, and also a few important private collections. The museum holdings were arranged in four historical buildings in Rome, and for headquarters the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme was chosen, a 19th century palazzo once used as training college for Jesuit priests, built by priest Massimiliano Massimo.

The display in Palazzo Massimo alle Terme comprises four floors. The ground floor and 1st floor contain sculptures, busts and bas-reliefs; the second floor is dedicated to frescoes and mosaics, and the basement contains the coin collection, jewels and artifacts of daily life.

Admission: € 7,00 (adults), valid 3 days for Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Terme di Diocleziano.

4 more images

On the ground floor of Palazzo Massimo alle Terme there are statues, portraits and bas-reliefs from the Republican, Augustean and Giulio-Claudia eras. There are also some ancient Greek masterpieces discovered in Rome.

The busts of the Roman emperors are some of the best of their kind, and bring out the character and special attributes of the individual emperors.

4 more images

On the first floor of the museum there are sculptures from Flavia to the Late Imperial periods.

Some of the sculptures are really stunning, and I kept coming back to look at then again from different angles, such as the famous wrestler resting after a fight, the discus thrower (Roman copy of the Greek statue), and others.
The sarcophagi are also truly amazing in detail and workmanship.

4 more images

This palace close to the Diocletian's Baths was built in 1887 for Cardinal/Prince Massimiliano Massimo and housed a college run by the Jesuits. It was bought by the Italian Government and transformed in a museum which opened in 1998 as the seat of the Museo Nationale Romano, which formerly was headquartered in the nearby Baths of Diocletian.
The PALAZZO MASSIMO ALLE TERME is the most important of the 4 sites among which are split the various buildings who constitute the Museo Nazionale Romano.
It is also the best and I really do recommend the visit to all who have some taste for antics. It is very comfortable museum with no lines, at least when I was there in December.

Palazzo Massimo holds Ancient Roman art (sculpture, frescos and mosaics) distributed over three floors. This collection contains celebrated examples of Roman art dating from the Republic to the late Empire, as well as several original Greek works discovered during excavations in the Gardens of Sallust. Very famous are the bronze statues of the "Boxer" (pic. 1) and the "Prince" and the statue (pic. 2) of Emperor August Pontifex (in all schoolbooks when I was a kid). I will come back on some of the highlights of this museum.
Impressive is the head of Socrate (pic. 3) found during the construction of the Victor Emmanuel II monument.

In the basement are the numismatic and jewellery collections (pic.4). The numismatic collection is rated as the best Roman coin collection in the world.

Open 9 - 19.45 h. Closed Monday, 1/01 and 25/12. Tickets office closes 1 hour before.

Price (2011): Combined ticket for Palazzo Massimo, Terme di Diocleziano, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, valid during 3 days: 7 €, reduced 3,50 €, free for EU citizens less than 18 or more than 65 years old.
THIS COMBINED TICKET FOR 4 MUSEUMS VALID 3 DAYS IS A REAL BARGAIN.

4 more images

I put off going to see this museum the first few times I visited Rome. In retrospect that was a mistake. I would recommend that you see it as one of the first things you do in Rome. It is laid out in such a way that it really helps to put things into perspective and chronology.

It also contains some of the most well know sculptures. Like the Boxer, The Dying Gaul, The Discus Thrower and Hermaphrodite. There are busts of many of the Roman Emperors and members of their family. These are placed chronologically which for me really helped to understand other sites in Rome.

The top floor contains some well preserved and displayed frescos and fabulous mosaics. These are not to be missed. Many are very expressive, all are beautiful.

The basement contains a great collection of historic coins.

This is easy to find as it is right by the station. It is not very busy and is a relaxing way to get a good back ground on Roman history. It is not huge so it is not overwhelming. These things make it a great early stop in your Roman adventure.

3 more images

In this Palazzo from Cardinal Altemps, from the late Renaissance, is on display an important collection of antique sculptures belonging to the "Museo Nationale Romano".
The Museo Nationale Romano Altemps is located about 100 m north of the Piazza Navona.
The most famous part of the collection was given by the family Boncompagni Ludovisi.
The sculptures belong to the Hellenistic, Roman republican and imperial periods as well as from the baroque periods.

The amateurs of antique sculptures will be interested by the explanations (Italian and English) about the restoration work on these sculptures which most often reached us in pieces and were also often Roman copies of Greek sculptures.
This museum shows also Egyptian statues as the cult of Isis was practised in Roma.

The most striking statue is that of the Galate committing suicide with his sword after having killed his wife to avoid her falling in hands of the enemy.
There is also a beautiful statue of the Aphrodite (Venus) of the temple on the Greek island Cnidos. The original, work of Praxiteles, of this nude figure seeking to cover herself was very popular in the Greek and Roman world. Many copies exist of the original.
A very famous Roman sarcophagus with Battle Scene modelled from a single block of marble is shown in this museum. All details of Roman weapons and uniforms are very well preserved.

When visiting the Piazza Navona it is worthwhile to visit (1 hour) this museum. As the ticket is combined with the Museum of Palazzo Massimo (near Termini station) it is good choice if you are an amateur of Greek and Roman art.

Open 9 - 19.45 h. Closed Monday, 1/01 and 25/12. Tickets office closes 1 hour before.

Price. Combined ticket for Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Terme di Diocleziano, valid during 3 days: 7 €, reduced 3,50 €, free for EU citizens less than 18 or more than 65 years old.

UPDATE, March 2006

With most people heading off to the Vatican museums or the Borghese, this museum doesn't get seen often enough. It is one of several sites of the National Museum of Rome. It is filled with great sculpture (like the famous "Discuss Thower") but it's main claim to fame is its fabulous collection of mosaics and frescos, taken from villas in and around Rome. There are several entire rooms which have been preserved with all the original frescos, so you can step into and see exactly what the rooms looked like 2000 years ago. The mosaics collection is incredible.

When you buy your ticket, ask for a reservation for the next tour of the mosaics and frescos (it's included in the price of the ticket). You aren't allowed to visit them by yourself. An English speaking guide gives the tour in both English and Italian. Your ticket will show the time of your tour.

UPDATE March 2006: No tour. You get to see the frescos and mosaics on your own, whenever you like, for as long as you like.

The mosaics and frescoes are found on the top floor (this is the "second" floor in Italy, while Americans would call it the "third" floor. In the US, the ground floor is called the first floor, but in Italy, it is called "piantereno." The first floor above ground is called the first floor or "primo piano," and so on.)

There is a very nice gift shop.

1 more image

FORUM REPLY about statues in Roman museums.
Just to extend my previous forum reply:

Capitoline museums are in my opinion the best museum complex in Rome (could not restrain from writing half a dozen tips to express my admiration for what is on display).

Second is for me the less known Museo Romano at Palazzo Massimo (located between piazza della Repubblica and Termini bus terminal)
Here a few lines of one my tips about this collection:
"There are in this museum two large bronze statues, among the most beautiful of the antiquity.
The "Pugilatore" resting pugilist or "boxer" is the ancient, most extraordinary, most attractive statue I saw these ten last years.
I turned and turned around the resting boxer who expresses in such realistic way the tiredness and the suffering of the fight. The wounds of his face are distinctively shown on the bronze. I noted that the protection of hands and forearms by leather gloves made of straps binding the four fingers and leaving the thumb free. They are of a clearer colour because they had been rubbed in the past by people who considered this statue as a good-luck charm "portafortuna".
Some steps further stands another remarkable bronze statue “the Hellenistic Prince". This is maybe king Attalus II of Pergamon or could also be a Roman wishing to be presented as a Greek prince….
Don’t leave Rome without having seen these statues. "

As for the Vatican Museum the title of my tip "Worthwhile?" joins the opinion from Roadquill.