Capitoline Museums
Capitoline Museums features on the Gingerguide audio walk through Rome. Give it roughly ~120 min: enough to look, hear a two to three minute story on the spot, and ask the AI guide whatever the story leaves open.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~120 min
- Rome Rome guide
About Capitoline Museums
The world's oldest public museums (1471), housing the original Marcus Aurelius equestrian bronze, the Capitoline Wolf, and extraordinary views over the Roman Forum.
The Capitoline Museums are the oldest public museums in the world, established by Pope Sixtus IV in 1471 when he donated a group of ancient bronzes to the Roman people. The collection is spread across two Renaissance palazzi, the Palazzo dei Conservatori and the Palazzo Nuovo, flanking the Piazza del Campidoglio, connected underground.
The museum's crown jewel is the original gilded bronze equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius (161–180 AD), the best-preserved large ancient bronze in the world. It survived the Middle Ages because it was mistakenly believed to depict Constantine, the first Christian emperor, rather than a pagan. The horse alone conveys extraordinary motion and nobility.
Other highlights include the Capitoline Wolf (Etruscan bronze, 5th century BC, though some scholars now dispute this dating), the Dying Gaul, the Capitoline Venus, and the colossal marble fragments of Constantine. The terrace offers the finest views over the Roman Forum from above.
Did you know? The Capitoline Museums were founded 21 years before Columbus sailed to America, making them older than the concept of the 'New World.'
How long is a visit to Capitoline Museums?
Set aside roughly ~120 min for Capitoline Museums. That covers a good look and the narrated story, and because you set the pace you can always stay on.
Is Capitoline Museums worth your time?
Capitoline Museums is among the 47 narrated highlights the Gingerguide team chose for Rome, so it is worth a look. Hear the story for the context, then ask the AI guide for anything more.
Nearby stops in Rome
Hear the story of Capitoline Museums
Preview the Rome tour free in the Gingerguide app.