Founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century, the Vatican Museums began as a collection of ancient sculptures and gradually expanded under later popes. During the 19th century, important sections were added, including the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, the Gregorian Egyptian Museum, and collections dedicated to classical and Christian antiquities. The museums also preserve major Renaissance artworks, while the Sistine Chapel—fully restored between 1979 and 1999—remains the sacred site of the papal conclave for the election of the Pope.

Palazzo Braschi is a gem in the heart of Rome. Palazzo Braschi contains countless works that tell and describe the social and artistic wealth of the capital from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the twentieth century. Specifically, more than one hundred thousand works are on display, including drawings, sculptures, engravings, photographs, frescoes, and ceramics, many of which are exhibited in rotation. Palazzo Braschi is a must-see both for its architectural value and for its location in one of the oldest and most historic districts of Rome. The view of Piazza Navona makes it even more unique and rare.

The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rome, located near Villa Borghese, is Italy’s only public museum dedicated exclusively to modern and contemporary art. Its collection of over 20,000 works spans from the 19th century to today, representing major artistic movements from Neoclassicism and Impressionism to the avant-gardes, Futurism, and Surrealism. The museum houses masterpieces by renowned Italian and international artists, offering a comprehensive journey through modern art history.

Villa Torlonia, located along Via Nomentana, is a historic estate known for its English-style landscape garden and richly decorated buildings. Developed in the 19th century by Alessandro Torlonia and later acquired by the City of Rome in 1978, it is now a public park and museum complex. Highlights include the Casino Nobile, shaped by architects such as Giuseppe Valadier and Giovan Battista Caretti, and the restored Villa Torlonia Theatre, admired for its elaborate decorative interiors and cultural programming.

The Capitoline Museums, located in Piazza del Campidoglio, are considered the world’s oldest public museums, founded in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated ancient bronze statues to the city of Rome. Housed in the Palazzo dei Conservatori and Palazzo Nuovo, the collections include celebrated ancient sculptures, Roman imperial busts, and the iconic equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius. The museums also feature the Capitoline Picture Gallery, which preserves important works from the late Middle Ages to the 18th century, including paintings by Caravaggio, Guercino, Guido Reni, and Pietro da Cortona.

Known today as Trajan’s Markets, this complex was rediscovered between 1926 and 1934 and functioned in antiquity as a multifunctional center for administrative activities connected to the nearby Forum of Trajan. Built along the slopes of the Quirinal Hill, its most distinctive feature is the Great Hemicycle. After extensive restoration completed in 2007, the site became home to the Museum of the Imperial Fora, dedicated to ancient architecture and designed to recreate the scale and splendor of the Imperial Fora.

Conceived in 1997 and inaugurated in 2010, MAXXI—the National Museum of 21st Century Arts—was created on the former Montello Barracks site in Rome’s Flaminio district following an international design competition. Distinguished by its innovative spatial layout, the museum is Italy’s first national institution dedicated to contemporary art and architecture. MAXXI hosts rotating permanent collections, temporary exhibitions, and a wide range of cultural events, with permanent installations by artists such as Anish Kapoor, Sol LeWitt, and Maurizio Mochetti.

Located in the park of Villa Borghese, the Borghese Gallery houses the renowned collection begun in the early 17th century by Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The museum preserves masterpieces by artists such as Raphael, Titian, Caravaggio, and Correggio, along with celebrated sculptures by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Canova. Highlights include Bernini’s Rape of Proserpina and Canova’s portrait of Pauline Bonaparte, reflecting the gallery’s exceptional concentration of Renaissance and Baroque art.

First opened in 1883 and relocated to its current building for the 1911 Universal Exhibition, the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art is housed in a monumental structure designed by Cesare Bazzani. The museum’s collection spans from the 19th century to the present, showcasing major movements from Neoclassicism and Impressionism to the avant-gardes. Since 2014, its exhibitions have been reorganized under the concept Time is Out of Joint, presenting works by leading Italian and international artists in a non-linear, layered narrative of modern art.