Palazzo Massimo alle Terme

Rome, Italy

The National Roman Museum is a museum with several branches in separate buildings throughout the city of Rome. Palazzo Massimo alle Terme houses part of the National Roman Museum, one of the world’s greatest collections of ancient art. It provides a magnificent showcase for some of the most beautiful paintings, mosaics and sculptures of the Roman age.

One room is devoted to the mummy that was found in 1964 on the Via Cassia, inside a richly decorated sarcophagus with several artefacts in amber and pieces of jewellery also on display. The ground and first floor has also sculptures of the period between the late Roman Republic and the early imperial period (2nd century BC to 1st century AD).

The second floor hosts frescoes, stucci and mosaics, including those from the villa of Livia, wife of Augustus. The frescoes, discovered in 1863 and dating back to the 1st century BC, show a luscious garden with ornamental plants and pomegranate trees.

The Museum's numismatic collection is the largest in Italy. Among the coins on exhibit are Theodoric’s medallion, the four ducats of Pope Paul II with the navicella of St Peter, and the silver piastre of the Pontifical State with views of the city of Rome.

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Address

Via Giovanni Amendola 4-10, Rome, Italy
See all sites in Rome

Details

Founded: 16th century
Category: Museums in Italy

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.rome-museum.com

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby


Colosseum (1,3 km)
Sistine Chapel (3,6 km)
Arch of Constantine (1,4 km)
St. Peter's Basilica (3,7 km)
Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli (1,5 km)
Altare della Patria (1,5 km)
St. Peter's Square (3,4 km)
Pantheon (1,8 km)
Vatican Historical Museum (3,7 km)


Villa d'Este (25,6 km)

User Reviews

Mary Douglas (19 months ago)
Interesting place with good exhibitions. They could do with staff to supervise exhibitions to ensure the public don't spoil them. E.g. people trying to take pics in the dark and walking in front of what should be quietly viewed and experienced.
Douglas Rush (20 months ago)
Really interesting museum. So many ancient artifacts. Worth a visit
Andrew Pestana (20 months ago)
We ended up spending a few hours walking around, marvelling at all the exhibits. Our daughter loved the basement level which housed the coin collection. We recommend getting the the full ticket instead of the single entry €10. For the extra €5 it also allows you access to 3 other attractions over 3 days. Another bonus is that it is free for under 18's.
Paige (20 months ago)
Definitely check out the coins and money part of the museum in the basement. 2000 years of economy with English translations. So incredible. Also the bronze statues of the resting boxer and Hellenic prince are a must see.
Lynne Powell (20 months ago)
The antiquities on display are fabulous and beautiful. However, there is not much information available in English. The staff, in our experience, were extremely rude and could just about bring themselves to stop their conversations with each other and answer our enquiries or hand us back our personal items that had to be checked in upon arrival.
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The first church on the spot was constructed in the early 4th century AD, replacing a Roman bath. A century later, a prefect named Leontios replaced the small oratory with a larger, three-aisled basilica. Repeatedly gutted by fires, the church eventually was reconstructed as a five-aisled basilica in 629–634. This was the surviving form of the church much as it is today. The most important shrine in the city, it was probably larger than the local cathedral. The historic location of the latter is now unknown.

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