National Roman Museum at Palazzo Altemps, Rome

Collections of the National Roman Museum are exhibited in four buildings. One of them is the Palazzo Altemps. The other three are the Baths of Diocletian, the Palazzo Massimo and the Crypta Balbi. The Palazzo Altemps in the 16th century was the residence of the German Cardinal Marcus Altemps, whose name the palace still bears today. Since 1997, the walls of the palazzo exhibit sculpture collections of the families of Mattei, Boncomagni, Ludovisi and others.

Exhibits of the Roman Museum in the Palazzo Altemps

In the Roman Museum in the Palazzo Altemps there are collections of Greek and Roman sculptures, which had been owned by the families of Ludovisi, Boncomagni, Mattei and others from the 16th to the 17th century.

1. Marcus Altemps’ art collection originally included about a hundred sculptures and other works. Nowadays, in the northern part of the palazzo there are only a few statues and small sculptures.
2. Sculpture collection of the Ludovisi-Boncomagni family. This is one of the largest collections of the museum in the Palazzo Altemps. In total, there are 104 sculptures, which had been collected by the family since the 17th century. In 1901, the Italian government bought these sculptures from the Ludovisi family in order to preserve the national heritage. The most significant works of the collection are: Ludovisi Acrolith, Ludovisi Throne, the sculpture of Athena restored by Alessandro Algardi, Bernini's sculpture of Ares, the sculptural composition Gaul Killing Himself and His Wife, The Great Ludovisi sarcophagus. Sculptures are on the ground and first floor of the palazzo.
3. Collection of the Black nobility family of Mattei. Initially, these sculptures adorned Villa Celimontana, located on Celio in Rome. Today, works of art are exhibited in the galleries along the sides of the courtyard of Villa Altemps, as well as in one of the rooms on the first floor. The highlight of the collection is the sculpture Dacians out of yellow marble.
4. Collection of the Drago family. Four reliefs of the family, dating from the 15th century, are on display in the southern loggia of the palazzo.
5. Egyptian collection. Sculptures found on the Champ de Mars are presented in the so-called Apartments of D'Annunzio. This sculpture is partly from Egypt, and partially executed in Rome under the influence of Egyptian culture. The head of the Ephesian Artemis found in 2009 during excavations on Via Marmorata, is exhibited in the room of the "Mother Goddess.

How to get there

The nearest bus stop near the Palazzo Altemps is called Zanardelli, and public transport routes that go through it: № 30, 70, 81, 87, 130F, 492, 628, N6, N7, SHOP1.

Opening hours: you can visit the National Roman Museum in the Palazzo Altemps daily from 9:00 to 19:45, except Monday.

Admission: 7 euro, this ticket is valid for three days for the four locations of the Roman Museum.