# Capitoline Museums, Rome

> The Capitoline Museums are the world's oldest public museum, founded in 1471: two palaces on Piazza del Campidoglio holding the Capitoline She-Wolf, the bronze Marcus Aurelius and the head of the Colossus of Constantine. Tickets run about €15–19.50, and they open daily 9:30–19:30; allow 2–2.5 hours.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums

- City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy
- YesGo score: 43/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 2 h 30 min
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Ticket: ≈ €15–19.50 — higher during exhibitions
- Opening hours: Daily 9:30–19:30, last entry 18:30
- Closed: 1 May and 25 December
- Free: First Sunday of the month; Rome residents since February 2026
- Time needed: 2–2.5 hours
- Location: Piazza del Campidoglio; 5 minutes' walk from Piazza Venezia
- Coordinates: 41.89306, 12.48278
- Facts checked: 10.11.2026

## Key facts

- **1471** — Pope Sixtus IV gave bronzes to the Roman people — the museum's origin (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Oldest** — public museum in the world (source: English Wikipedia)
- **She-Wolf** — the bronze Capitoline Wolf, symbol of Rome (source: English Wikipedia)
- **2nd century** — Marcus Aurelius — the only surviving bronze equestrian statue of an emperor (source: English Wikipedia)
- **≈ 2.5 m** — height of Constantine's colossal head in the courtyard (source: English Wikipedia)
- **Tabularium** — an underground gallery with a view over the Roman Forum (source: English Wikipedia)

## Capitoline Museums tickets and hours

The museums open **daily from 9:30 to 19:30**, with last entry at **18:30**, and close on **1 May and 25 December**. Tickets cost **€15–19.50** depending on the source — more when exhibitions are on. Entry is free on the first Sunday of the month, and free for Rome residents since February 2026. Queues are rare; booking online saves ten minutes or so.

## About the museum

The Capitoline Museums are considered **the oldest public museum in the world**: in **1471** Pope Sixtus IV donated a group of ancient bronzes, including the She-Wolf, to the people of Rome. The collection grew into one of the great holdings of classical sculpture and painting.

It fills two palaces on Michelangelo's [Piazza del Campidoglio](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-hill) — the **Palazzo dei Conservatori** on the right and the **Palazzo Nuovo** on the left — linked by an underground passage through the **Tabularium**, ancient Rome's records office, whose windows look straight over the [Roman Forum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/roman-forum).

## Highlights

- **Capitoline She-Wolf** — Rome's symbol; Romulus and Remus were added in the Renaissance.
- **Equestrian Marcus Aurelius** — the 2nd-century original in a glass-roofed hall; the piazza has a copy.
- **Colossus of Constantine** — a 2.5-metre head, a hand and a foot in the Conservatori courtyard.
- **Spinario** — the bronze boy pulling a thorn from his foot.
- **Dying Gaul** — a marble copy of a Greek bronze, Palazzo Nuovo.
- **Capitoline Venus** — in her own octagonal cabinet.
- **Pinacoteca** — Caravaggio's Fortune Teller and St John the Baptist, plus Titian and Rubens.
- **Tabularium** — the finest indoor view of the Forum.

## The She-Wolf and Marcus Aurelius

The **Capitoline Wolf** is Rome's emblem: legend says a she-wolf suckled the city's founders, Romulus and Remus. Long thought Etruscan, from the 5th century BC, it may in fact be a medieval casting; the twins were added in the 15th century.

The **bronze Marcus Aurelius** is the only equestrian statue of a Roman emperor to survive — it escaped melting down because it was mistaken for Constantine, the first Christian emperor. The original now stands under a glass roof in the Exedra of Marcus Aurelius; the one on the piazza is an exact copy.

> **Café with a view** The Terrazza Caffarelli café, on the Palazzo Caffarelli terrace, has one of the best views over Rome's rooftops and domes. Reach it from inside the museum or by its own stair from the piazza.

## How to get to the Capitoline Museums

1. From [Piazza Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-venezia), climb Michelangelo's Cordonata ramp — 5 minutes.
2. Buses 40, 64, 70 and 87 and tram 8 stop at Piazza Venezia.
3. From the [Colosseum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/colosseum), 15 minutes' walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali.
4. Metro line B to Colosseo or Cavour, then 15 minutes on foot.

## Are the Capitoline Museums worth it?

Yes, if you love ancient sculpture: it's one of the world's best collections and far quieter than the Vatican. The She-Wolf, Marcus Aurelius and the Tabularium view of the Forum justify half a day. Combine it with the [Vittoriano](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vittoriano) and the Roman Forum.

## Before you go

Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser.

- [ ] Book tickets online
- [ ] Find the Tabularium passage and its Forum view
- [ ] See the original Marcus Aurelius under glass
- [ ] Stop for coffee on the Caffarelli terrace
- [ ] Walk round behind the city hall for the free Forum view

## Rome's museums: compare and choose

Museums in Rome rated by YesGo.

- [Sistine Chapel](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/sistine-chapel) — YesGo score 64/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25
- [Castel Sant'Angelo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/castel-sant-angelo) — YesGo score 57/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €15–20
- [Domus Aurea](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/domus-aurea) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26
- [Ara Pacis](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ara-pacis) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €13–15
- [San Luigi dei Francesi](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-luigi-dei-francesi) — YesGo score 47/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free
- [Galleria Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €18
- [Vatican Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vatican-museums) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €25
- [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50
- [Baths of Diocletian](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/baths-of-diocletian) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- [Galleria Doria Pamphilj](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/doria-pamphilj) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €16–18
- [Palazzo Farnese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-farnese) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid, booking only
- [Imperial Fora](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/imperial-fora) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15
- [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15
- [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €12
- [Palazzo Massimo](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-massimo) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €10–12 combined ticket
- [MAXXI](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/maxxi) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €12–15
- [Ostia Antica](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/ostia-antica) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–18

## 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.

1. [Vittoriano](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vittoriano) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18
2. [Capitoline Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-hill) — YesGo score 58/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free
3. [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50
4. [Roman Forum](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/roman-forum) — YesGo score 63/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum

## Don't mix it up

The Capitoline Hill in Rome gave its name to Capitol Hill in Washington. Copies of the She-Wolf stand in cities around the world; the original is here.

## Tips

- The Tabularium has the best indoor Forum view.
- The original Marcus Aurelius is indoors; the piazza has a copy.
- Caffarelli terrace: coffee with a view of the domes.
- Queues are rare.

## Questions

### How much are Capitoline Museums tickets?

About €15–19.50 depending on exhibitions; free on the first Sunday of the month.

### What are the Capitoline Museums opening hours?

Daily 9:30–19:30, last entry 18:30; closed 1 May and 25 December.

### Where is the Capitoline Wolf?

In the Palazzo dei Conservatori, part of the Capitoline Museums.

### What are the highlights?

The She-Wolf, the original Marcus Aurelius, Constantine's colossal head, the Dying Gaul, the Capitoline Venus, Caravaggio and the Tabularium view.

### Why are they the oldest museums in the world?

Sixtus IV gave a collection of bronzes to the Roman people in 1471, creating the first public museum.

### How long do you need?

2–2.5 hours.

### Are the Capitoline Museums worth visiting?

Yes, especially for classical sculpture and the Forum view — and they're far less crowded than the Vatican.

## How we checked

History, collection and works from English Wikipedia; hours from 2026 guides matching the museum site. Prices differ (€15–19.50), hence the 'checking' badge.

## Sources

- Capitoline Museums official website (Sovrintendenza Capitolina)
- English Wikipedia, Capitoline Museums and Capitoline Wolf

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