Enjoy the 10 very best Roman museums

Amid the open green setting of Villa Borghese, find the most prized works of Italy’s Renaissance and Baroque art movement within the mansion of Galleria Borghese. Here you’ll find works spanning the 15^th, 16^th and 17^th centuries, all handpicked by Cardinal Scipione Borghese (Pope Paul V’s nephew), covering the likes of Raphael, Caravaggio and Botticelli, to create one of the world’s most renowned collections. Besides the iconic paintings, the gallery’s elegant interiors and ceiling frescoes are bound to impress, with the added bonus of Bernini and Canova’s sculptures centred in each hall.

Once the geographical and political centre of the Roman Empire, Capitoline Hill today remains a must-visit as the home of the Capitoline Museums. Showcasing pinnacle works from across ancient Rome and into the Renaissance, find these hilltop museums in two parts flanking either side of the Piazza del Campidoglio, a site designed by Michelangelo himself. Perhaps the most coveted works at this museum of Roman civilisation include the collection of bronze and marble sculptures bequeathed to the public by Pope Sixtus IV in the 1400s, making it the oldest museum collection in the world. Of these statues and beyond, find the Capitoline Wolf, the Colossus of Constantine and the Dying Gaul as well as the first human life sculpture ever made dating back to 1277. Easily spend hours tracking the thousands of statues, sculptures, mosaics and busts on display across two buildings, climaxing at the Capitoline Venus, a famed marble creation designed around 100-150AD.

Needing little introduction, the Vatican Museums come front and centre in the minds of all those who visit Rome. Hosting as many as 20,000 treasures across 1,400 rooms, galleries and chapels – including Michelangelo’s most admired creation, the world-famous Sistine Chapel  – the Vatican Museums are a standalone attraction worth saving the whole day for. Take a tour of the highlights, including the Raphael Rooms, Egyptian Collection and Gallery of Maps, or simply wander from room to room, losing yourself in the charms of each. Gathered from the collections of past Popes since the early 16^th century, the Vatican Museums are rich in wonders, ranging from Egyptian mummies and Etruscan bronzes to ancient busts and painted masterpieces, under the decorated halls of the Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano (the Pope’s residence) and the 15th-century Palazzetto di Belvedere connected by two long hall galleries and adjoined by three courtyards.

Though our previous mentions offer a little sample of Etruscan history, the National Etruscan Museum cannot be beaten for its comprehensive pre-Roman collection of pottery, ornaments, jewellery, bronzes and sculptures dating back to around 500BC. Of the works housed within the Villa Giulia, the most valuable are the Sarcofago degli Sposi from 520 BC and several terracotta figures depicting the Apollo of Vei and Hercules and Apollo in a tussle over a deer from 510BC. Besides its star features, the Renaissance architecture of the museum itself is worth a look, built under Pope Julius III in the mid-1500s and surrounded by serene gardens perfect for some quiet reflection on Roman succession!

The baroque palatial architecture of Palazzo Barberini makes for an impressive entrance to the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, a site homing the city’s best collection of ancient art on the estate of one-time Pope, Maffeo Barberini. The most elegant building of its period, designed by Maderno of St. Peter’s Basilica fame, Palazzo Barberini stands today as a state-owned museum featuring over 1,400 works from between the 13^th and 18^th century. Of these works, many were the creation of Titian, El Greco, Caravaggio and Raphael, including La Fornarina, a famed portrait by the latter. While you’re here, spend time in the oval salone, a hall stretching the height of the building and roofed by a Baroque fresco by Cortona depicting the Allegory of Divine Providence and Barberini Power.

The more interactive and playful alternative to GNAM is MAXXI, the National Museum of 21^st Century Art, based in the Flaminio quarter, where everything is dedicated to contemporary creativity. More of a cultural campus than a gallery, MAXXI, designed by British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, is comprised of two parts, MAXXI Arte and MAXXI Architettura, both offering a full schedule of educational workshops, conferences and projects alongside its main exhibitions of top 21^st century artists. Alongside the static collection, the museum has put on a number of temporary exhibits include collaborations with the MoMA in New York and a digital showcase, all complemented by the upbeat vibe centred around the café and bookshop.