Capitoline Museums
Rome, Italy
Capitoline Hill, Rome
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Photo: Falk2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free, 24 hours
- Hours
- Square and terraces open 24 hours, free
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Piazza del Campidoglio
- Michelangelo's design, with a copy of Marcus Aurelius
- Forum view
- From the terraces behind Palazzo Senatorio, free
- Santa Maria in Aracoeli
- 124 steps; church free to enter
- Time needed
- 30–40 minutes, half a day with the museums
- Location
- Above Piazza Venezia, up the Cordonata — 5 minutes
Key facts
1 of 7hills of Rome — the smallest and most sacred
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English Wikipedia509 BCtraditional dedication of the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus
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English Wikipedia1536Michelangelo began redesigning the Piazza del Campidoglio
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English Wikipedia124steps up to Santa Maria in Aracoeli
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English WikipediaCity hallPalazzo Senatorio is the seat of Rome's mayor
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English WikipediaCapitolWashington's Capitol Hill is named after it
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English WikipediaMichelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio
In 1536 Pope Paul III asked Michelangelo to tidy the hill for a visit by Emperor Charles V. He turned the square to face the new Rome and St Peter's, designed the trapezoid Piazza del Campidoglio with its oval star pattern, and gave the three palaces matching façades: Palazzo Senatorio in the centre, now the city hall, flanked by the Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, home of the Capitoline Museums.
You arrive up the Cordonata, a broad, gentle stepped ramp guarded at the top by the Dioscuri — Castor and Pollux with their horses. A copy of the bronze Marcus Aurelius stands in the middle; the original is in the museum. The paving pattern was only laid, to Michelangelo's drawing, in 1940.
The hill in ancient Rome
The Capitoline is the smallest of the seven hills and was the most sacred. On its summit stood the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, traditionally dedicated in 509 BC, the end point of every triumphal procession. The Tabularium, the state archive, stood on its slope, and the Tarpeian Rock fell away to the south.
Its name lives on in Washington's Capitol — which is why search results for 'Capitol Hill' rarely mean Rome.
What to see on the Capitoline Hill
- Piazza del Campidoglio — Michelangelo's ensemble with its star-patterned paving.
- Cordonata — the gentle ramp with the Dioscuri at the top.
- Marcus Aurelius copy — in the centre of the square.
- Capitoline Museums — the She-Wolf, Marcus Aurelius and Constantine's colossal head.
- Terraces behind Palazzo Senatorio — free views over the Forum and Palatine.
- Santa Maria in Aracoeli — the church at the top of 124 marble steps.
- Tarpeian Rock — the south cliff above the Forum.
- She-Wolf column — a bronze copy by the left side of Palazzo Senatorio.
Santa Maria in Aracoeli
Beside the Cordonata a steeper stair of 124 marble steps climbs to the 13th-century church of Santa Maria in Aracoeli. Legend says a sibyl foretold Christ's birth to Augustus on this spot. Inside are a gilded ceiling, a Cosmatesque marble floor and frescoes by Pinturicchio. Entry is free, and you can skip the climb by using the side door from the Campidoglio.
How to get to the Capitoline Hill
Tap a route to highlight it on the map.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
On foot
- Capitoline Museums is about 1 min away on foot.
- Vittoriano is about 5 min away on foot.
- Roman Forum is about 4 min away on foot.
More tips
- From Piazza Venezia, right of the Vittoriano, up the Cordonata — 5 minutes.
- From the Roman Forum, take the steps by the Arch of Septimius Severus — 5 minutes.
- Buses 40, 64, 70 and 87 and tram 8 stop at Piazza Venezia.
- From the Colosseum, 15 minutes along Via dei Fori Imperiali.
Best time to visit
The square is lovely at any hour, but best in the evening, when the palaces and the Forum below are floodlit. Mornings are quiet; by day you'll often see weddings, as couples marry at the city hall and pose on the Cordonata.
Is the Capitoline Hill worth it?
Yes — it's free, steps from Piazza Venezia and gives the best ticket-free view of the Roman Forum. Michelangelo's piazza is one of Rome's most harmonious spaces. With time to spare, the Capitoline Museums are right here.
Before you go
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Rome viewpoints: compare and choose
Places in Rome with a view, rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Colosseum | 73 | 2 h | ≈ €18 | 14 min walk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Peter's Basilica | 71 | 1 h 30 min | Free; dome ≈ €8–15 | 2.6 km |
| Roman Forum | 63 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum | 4 min walk |
| Circus Maximus | 63 | 30 min | Free | 15 min walk |
| Spanish Steps | 62 | 20 min | Free | 25 min walk |
| Vittoriano | 61 | 1 h | Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18 | 3 min walk |
| Capitoline Hillyou are here | 58 | 30 min | Free | — |
| Castel Sant'Angelo | 57 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €15–20 | 30 min walk |
| Palatine Hill | 54 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €18 with Colosseum | 11 min walk |
| Quirinal Palace | 50 | 1 h 15 min | Square free; tours by booking | 14 min walk |
| Villa Borghese | 48 | 1 h 30 min | Free | 39 min walk |
| Tempietto | 45 | 20 min | Free | 25 min walk |
| Capitoline Museums | 43 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ €15–19.50 | 3 min walk |
| Pincio | 43 | 40 min | Free | 36 min walk |
| Aventine Keyhole | 42 | 45 min | Free | 20 min walk |
| Villa Medici | 38 | 1 h 30 min | Paid, scheduled tours | 29 min walk |
Piazza Venezia and the Capitoline
The Vittoriano and its rooftop lift, then the Capitoline Hill and museums, and the Forum view from the terraces behind the city hall.
- Vittoriano1 h · Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18
- 3 min walk from the previous stopCapitoline Hillyou are here30 min · Free
- 3 min walk from the previous stopCapitoline Museums2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50
- 4 min walk from the previous stopRoman Forum1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum
4 places · about 5 h 40 min with walks · 10 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
How to do it right
- Behind the city hall: a free view of the whole Forum.
- The Cordonata is gentle; the Aracoeli stair is steep.
- Evening lights up both the square and the Forum.
- The original Marcus Aurelius is inside the museum.
Questions
Where is the Capitoline Hill?
In central Rome, above Piazza Venezia and the Roman Forum.
Is the Capitoline Hill free?
Yes, the square and terraces are free at all hours; only the museums charge.
Who designed the Piazza del Campidoglio?
Michelangelo, from 1536; the paving pattern was laid to his design in 1940.
What is there to see?
Michelangelo's piazza, the Cordonata, the Marcus Aurelius copy, the Capitoline Museums, the Forum view and Santa Maria in Aracoeli.
Where's the best view of the Roman Forum from the Capitoline?
From the terraces behind Palazzo Senatorio, on either side of the city hall.
How many steps lead to Santa Maria in Aracoeli?
124.
Why was it the most sacred hill?
It held Rome's chief temple, to Jupiter Optimus Maximus.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- English Wikipedia, Capitoline Hill, Piazza del Campidoglio and Santa Maria in Aracoeli
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