Baths of Diocletian
Rome, Italy
Palazzo Massimo — National Roman Museum, Rome
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Photo: CAPTAIN RAJU, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Ticket
- ≈ €10–12 — combined for the four National Roman Museum sites
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Opening hours
- Tue–Sun ≈ 9:30–19:45
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From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 2 h
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Closed
- Mondays
- Highlights
- Boxer at Rest, Discobolus, Livia's garden frescoes
- Time needed
- ≈ 2 hours
- Location
- Largo di Villa Peretti 2; 3 minutes from Termini
Key facts
1883–1887the palace was built as a Jesuit college
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English Wikipedia1st century BCthe garden frescoes from the villa of Livia, Augustus's wife
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English WikipediaBronzethe Boxer at Rest is one of the finest ancient bronze originals
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English WikipediaDiscobolusthe Lancellotti Roman copy of Myron's discus thrower
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English Wikipedia4 sitesof the National Roman Museum: Palazzo Massimo, the Baths, Altemps, Crypta Balbi
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English WikipediaTickets and hours
Entry uses the National Roman Museum combined ticket — about €10–12 according to guides — valid for several days at Palazzo Massimo, the Baths of Diocletian opposite, Palazzo Altemps near Piazza Navona and the Crypta Balbi. It opens Tuesday to Sunday and closes on Mondays. Queues are rare.
About the museum
Palazzo Massimo is a late-19th-century palace facing the Baths of Diocletian and the main home of the National Roman Museum. It gathers finds from Rome and its surroundings over the past 150 years — sculpture, bronzes, frescoes, mosaics and coins — a collection that rivals the Vatican and Capitoline museums for quality, with far fewer visitors.
Four floors: sculpture from the Republic to the late Empire on the first two, frescoes and mosaics from Roman villas on the third, and a coin cabinet with jewellery in the basement.
The masterpieces
The star is the Hellenistic bronze Boxer at Rest: a weary man seated, head turned, with a broken nose, cauliflower ears and leather thongs on his fists — one of the few surviving ancient bronze originals, and you can walk all the way round it. Beside him stands the bronze Hellenistic Prince.
Nearby are the Lancellotti Discobolus, the best Roman marble copy of Myron's discus thrower, the Sleeping Hermaphrodite, the Maiden of Anzio and imperial portraits including Augustus as high priest.
Livia's garden and the Farnesina frescoes
The third floor holds what connoisseurs come for: the frescoes from the villa of Livia, Augustus's wife, at Prima Porta. An entire room is painted as a garden — trees, roses, quinces, pomegranates, birds on branches, a turquoise sky — moved here whole. In the dim light you seem to be standing in a 1st-century BC garden.
Next door are frescoes and stucco ceilings from a Roman villa found by today's Villa Farnesina on the Tiber, delicate with landscapes and myths, along with mosaic floors of hunts and sea scenes.
What to see
- Boxer at Rest — Hellenistic bronze, ground floor.
- Hellenistic Prince — bronze, beside the Boxer.
- Lancellotti Discobolus — the Roman copy of Myron.
- Sleeping Hermaphrodite — marble.
- Livia's garden room — third floor.
- Farnesina villa frescoes — third floor.
- Coin cabinet — coins and jewellery, basement.
How to get there
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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
- Baths of Diocletian is about 2 min away on foot.
- Santa Maria Maggiore is about 9 min away on foot.
- Santa Maria della Vittoria is about 7 min away on foot.
More tips
- From Termini station, 3 minutes' walk to Largo di Villa Peretti.
- Metro A and B to Termini, or A to Repubblica.
- The Baths of Diocletian are opposite.
- Buses 40, 64, 70 and 170 to Piazza dei Cinquecento.
Is Palazzo Massimo worth it?
Yes, especially for lovers of antiquity: it may be Rome's most underrated museum, with world-class masterpieces and no queues. The Boxer and Livia's garden alone justify the visit. It's perfect before a train or after arriving, three minutes from Termini.
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Rome's museums: compare and choose
Museums in Rome rated by YesGo. Click a column header to sort.
| Sistine Chapel | 64 | 30 min | Vatican Museums ticket ≈ €25 | 3.6 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castel Sant'Angelo | 57 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €15–20 | 2.6 km |
| Domus Aurea | 49 | 1 h 15 min | ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26 | 20 min walk |
| Ara Pacis | 47 | 1 h | ≈ €13–15 | 34 min walk |
| San Luigi dei Francesi | 47 | 20 min | Free | 34 min walk |
| Galleria Borghese | 45 | 2 h | ≈ €18 | 26 min walk |
| Vatican Museums | 44 | 3 h | ≈ €25 | 3.6 km |
| Capitoline Museums | 43 | 2 h 30 min | ≈ €15–19.50 | 27 min walk |
| Baths of Diocletian | 42 | 1 h | Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12 | 3 min walk |
| Galleria Doria Pamphilj | 39 | 1 h 30 min | ≈ €16–18 | 25 min walk |
| Palazzo Farnese | 39 | 1 h 15 min | Paid, booking only | 41 min walk |
| Imperial Fora | 38 | 1 h | Free from the street; museum ≈ €13–15 | 23 min walk |
| Palazzo Barberini | 37 | 2 h | ≈ €15 | 12 min walk |
| Villa Farnesina | 37 | 1 h | ≈ €12 | 2.7 km |
| Palazzo Massimoyou are here | 34 | 2 h | ≈ €10–12 combined ticket | — |
| MAXXI | 32 | 2 h | ≈ €12–15 | 3.9 km |
| Ostia Antica | 31 | 3 h | ≈ €12–18 | 23.9 km |
Antiquity by Termini
Palazzo Massimo's bronzes and frescoes, then the Baths of Diocletian and Michelangelo's basilica on the same ticket.
- Palazzo Massimoyou are here2 h · ≈ €10–12 combined ticket
- 3 min walk from the previous stopBaths of Diocletian1 h · Basilica free; museum ≈ €10–12
- 7 min walk from the previous stopSanta Maria della Vittoria20 min · Free
3 places · about 3 h 30 min with walks · 10 min on foot in total
Nearby and on the way
Santa Maria Maggiore
Rome, Italy
Santa Maria della Vittoria
Rome, Italy
San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane
Rome, Italy
How to do it right
- Hardly any queues — masterpieces without crowds.
- Livia's garden is on the third floor.
- One ticket covers four museum sites.
- Closed on Mondays.
Questions
How much is Palazzo Massimo?
It's on the National Roman Museum combined ticket, about €10–12.
What are the opening hours?
Tuesday–Sunday around 9:30–19:45; closed Monday.
What are the highlights?
The Boxer at Rest, the Discobolus, Livia's garden frescoes, mosaics and coins.
Where is Palazzo Massimo?
On Largo di Villa Peretti, 3 minutes from Termini station.
What does the combined ticket include?
Palazzo Massimo, the Baths of Diocletian, Palazzo Altemps and the Crypta Balbi.
How long do you need?
About two hours.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano, Italian Ministry of Culture)
- English Wikipedia, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme and Boxer at Rest
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