Rome Museums
Rome museums are mainly devoted to ancient Rome, Middle Ages and Renaissance. These were the times of creation of masterpieces in Italy.
The Capitoline Museum
The Capitoline Museum contains a good collection of classical art and ancient sculpture. The Capitoline piazza between the two museum buildings is designed by Michelangelo.
National Villa Giulia
National Villa Giulia museum is located in a beautiful villa built in the 16th century for Pope Julius II. It contains extensive collection of Etruscan art and artifacts.
Galleria Borghese
Galleria Borghese located in the palace built for cardinal Borghese contains the collection of works of art gathered by the cardinal. Among them there are masterpieces by Canova, Bernini, Raphael, Titian.
The Vatican Collections
The Vatican Museums are open daily, except Sundays – but they are open (with free entry) on the last Sunday of every month. Entry is € 12. They open at 8 a.m. and close at 1.30.
The most famous is the Sistine Chapel with magnificent ceiling painted by Michelangelo.
There you can also find Map room with huge 15th century maps of Italy painted on th3e walls.
Palazzo Farnese
Palazzo Farnese is the biggest private palace in Rome. It was designed by Antonio de Sangallo the youngest (1484-1546). Its construction started in 1517 for the Cardinal Farnese who later became Pope Paul III. He employed Michelangelo who designed the third store and revised the courtyard. The palazzo was completed by Giacomo della Porta in 1589. Annibal Caracci and other artists frescoed several mains rooms with elaborate allegorical programs including a series of frescoes on Hercules, and the Loves of the gods. The Palazzo Farnese houses the great scholarly library concentrating on the archeology of Italy and medieval Papal history.
In Puccini’s opera “Tosca” set in Napoleonic Rome, The heroine’s confrontation with the Chief of Police, Scarpia, takes place in Palazzo Farnese. Now it houses the French Embassy.
Palazzo Barberini
Palazzo Barberini was created by 3 great architects – Carlo Maderno, Francesco Borromini and Bernini. On the uppermost floor Borromini’s windows are set in false perspective that suggest extra depth. Flanking the hall, two sets of stairs lead to the piano nobile, a large squared staircase by Bernini to the left and a smaller oval staircase by Borromini to the rights. On the ceiling you can see beautiful frescoes, most interesting is Pietro da Cartona’s masterpiece the Allegory of Divine Providence.
In 1949 the palace became the state property and was given to the picture gallery. Its collection contains Raphael’s portrait La Fornarina, Caravaggio’s Judith and Holophernes and Hans Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII.