The Capitoline Museums: A Journey Through Time

After extensive restoration work, the two museum buildings that are part of Michelangelo’s designed square have been reopened to the public. This is an extraordinary itinerary that takes in the Palazzo dei Conservatori, the Marcus Aurelius Exedra, the Pinacoteca, the Tabularium with the Epigraphic Gallery and the Palazzo Nuovo. The Capitoline Collection was founded in 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV with the donation of some bronze statues to the people of Rome. It is therefore considered the oldest museum in the world. It houses the oldest collection of classical sculptures, including the Capitoline Wolf with the twins Romulus and Remus, the Capitoline Venus, and the Dying Gaul. In 2005, the Marcus Aurelius Exedra was inaugurated. The ancient equestrian statue, a copy of which now stands in the center of the Capitoline Square, has been given a new home after nine years of restoration – a 1000 square meter hall with a glass roof.