Rome is one of the most famous places in the world. You can understand this ancient city and admire its former glory by visiting the Capitoline Museum. It consists of three palaces with objects of ancient art exhibited in them: sculptures, ceramics and paintings.
The article tells about the history of the museum, gives a description of the palaces and exhibits. It also provides information related to guided tours and ticket purchases.
On the threshold of the museum
The excursion program begins with the Cordonata staircase, which leads to Capitol Hill. Climbing the gentle steps, you can see the ancient sculptures. The legendary Kastor and Poluks - the sons of Zeus, rise on the balustrade. These statues were found in 1583 during excavations of the theater in Pompeii.
Particularly noteworthy is Capitol Square in front of the museum. Due to the fact that it is covered with elliptical patterns, it seems that it is much more spacious than it actually is. In the middle stands a copy of the sculpture of Marcus Aurelius. The original, created in 160-180, is located in one of the halls of the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
Palaces of the Capitol
As mentioned above, the museum consists of three palaces surrounding Piazza del Campidoglio. The buildings are connected by underground passages and galleries.
In the center of the square is the Palace of Senators, which was built in the XII century and subsequently reconstructed according to the design of Michelangelo. On the right is the Palazzo dei Conservatori or the Palace of Conservatives, which arose in the 16th century. On the left side is the Palazzo Nuovo, or the New Palace, designed in the image of the Palace of the Conservatives.
The project of the entire museum complex was developed by Michelangelo from 1535 to 1546. However, the final embodiment of his project, Michelangelo was not destined to see. The design of Capitol Hill, as we see it now, was completed only in 1940 by order of Mussolini.
Long way
The history of the museum begins in 1471. It was then that the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Sixtus IV, handed over to the people a unique collection of bronze sculptures that were in his personal collection. In 1743, Pope Clement XII gave the order to open a museum, which was destined to become the first public gallery in the whole world.
The Capitoline Museum was replenished annually with a large number of new exhibits and artifacts. All of them were found during archaeological excavations conducted in Italy.
Today in the palaces of the hill there are more than 400 ancient Roman statues and other finds, the value of which cannot be described in words. The Capitoline Museum exhibition is one of the largest in the world and annually attracts a large number of tourists.
Exposition
Currently, the City Hall of Rome is located in the Palace of Senators. Only the lower floor is reserved for the museum. The main exhibitions are located in the Palace of Conservatives and in the New Palace.
The Senators Palace stands out with its solemn facade. In a niche under the stairs, visitors to the museum can see the statue of Jubilant Rome, on both sides of which are allegorical images of the Tiber and the Nile.
The tour begins from the courtyard, where the remains of a giant statue of Emperor Constantine are located. In ancient times, the monument was a construction of wooden beams covered with toga. Marble was only the head, arms and legs, preserved to this day. The statue was quite impressive in size - 12 meters in height. The surviving parts are individually exhibited in the courtyard. So, the foot of Emperor Constantine has 2 meters in length and 1.5 meters in height. In addition, tourists can see the head of the statue, its biceps and hand (the so-called "Pointing finger").
The New Palace presents a huge number of bronze statues. Of particular note is the dying Gall. Every detail, facial expression, posture in which the warrior froze - everything creates the illusion that a living person is in front of you.
On display at the Capitoline Museum you can see the original statue of Marcus Aurelius. It is noteworthy that this is the only sculpture made of bronze that survived the gloomy Middle Ages and has survived to this day unchanged.
In the same palace is the famous gallery of emperors, where busts of Roman overlords, who played a huge role in the development of the country, are exhibited.
The Conservatives Palace contains the most ancient artifacts. It is here that you can see the legendary Capitoline Wolf, which with its milk nourished Romulus and Remus, the brothers who, according to legend, founded Rome. Today this sculpture is famous all over the world. Capitoline she-wolf is considered a symbol of the Eternal City.
Here you can see the equally famous sculpture of the 1st century BC. e. - "A boy pulling a splinter."
On the second floor of the Palace of Conservatives there is an art gallery - a real treasure of the Capital Museum. It exhibited the work of Rubens, Titian, Velazquez and the great Caravaggio.
An exhibition of coins and jewelry is open for visitors on the third floor of the Palace. To see her, collectors and connoisseurs from around the world seek to get to the Capitoline Museum in Rome.
Guided tours
In order to learn as much as possible about the exhibits, it is recommended to use the services of a qualified guide. The museum organizes excursions in several languages, including Russian. Those who do not want to travel around Capitol Hill as part of an excursion group can rent an audio guide with headphones, which will tell about each exhibit. The best option is an individual tour in Rome in Russian with a personal guide. He will guide you through all the expositions, tell you a lot of interesting information and answer all your questions.
For blind people in the museum complex special programs are organized that allow you to "see" the sculptures by touching them with gloves on. This practice has been introduced relatively recently. Excursions for people with disabilities are designed to give everyone a chance to enjoy art.
Schedule
The museum is open daily from 9:30 to 19:30. His visit is a necessary part of exploring Rome. In this regard, very large lines are formed at the box office. Tourists are advised to pre-purchase tickets via the Internet or use the services of the organizers of excursions in Rome in Russian, which take care of all the passage to the museum halls. Tourists only need to arrive at the indicated time at the group's gathering place.
Tour price
The ticket costs 12 euros (960 rubles). However, due to the fact that various additional exhibitions are often organized in the halls of the museum, the cost of the admission ticket may be slightly higher.
Everyone can buy beautiful books by Muse Capitolini, which contains photographs and descriptions of the exhibits and halls of the museum.