Palazzo Altemps (National Museum of Rome)
Palazzo Altemps (National Museum of Rome) is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Rome audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~75 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~75 min
- Rome Rome guide
About Palazzo Altemps (National Museum of Rome)
A beautifully restored 15th-century palazzo near Piazza Navona housing the ancient Greek and Roman sculpture collection of the National Museum of Rome, including the Ludovisi Throne and Gaul Killing Himself.
Palazzo Altemps is one of the four buildings that together constitute the National Museum of Rome, and it is the most atmospherically beautiful of them, a Renaissance palace that provides a perfect setting for one of the world's greatest collections of ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.
The palace was built in the 15th century and expanded in the 16th century. It takes its name from Cardinal Marco Sittico Altemps, who acquired it in 1568. The inner courtyard, loggias, and frescoed rooms create a setting that makes the ancient sculptures feel entirely at home.
The collections include the Ludovisi Collection, assembled by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi in the 17th century from ancient sculptures found on his estate on the Quirinal Hill, which happened to cover the site of Caesar's gardens and the Praetorian barracks. Among the masterpieces are the Ludovisi Throne (a 5th-century BC Greek original showing the birth of Aphrodite, among the most beautiful and mysterious surviving sculptures of antiquity), the Gaul Killing Himself (a 2nd-century BC Roman copy of a Greek bronze, showing the heroic suicide of a Galatian warrior who kills himself and his wife rather than submit to Roman conquest, one of the most psychologically powerful sculptures in Rome).
Did you know? The Ludovisi Throne was found in the gardens of the Villa Ludovisi, built over Caesar's ancient gardens, in the 1880s. Its exact original function (throne back? altar?) is still debated by scholars.
How long should you spend at Palazzo Altemps (National Museum of Rome)?
Plan about ~75 min at Palazzo Altemps (National Museum of Rome). That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Palazzo Altemps (National Museum of Rome) worth visiting?
Palazzo Altemps (National Museum of Rome) is one of the 47 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Rome, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
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