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:: SILVER HOTELS COLLECTION · MUSEUMS · CAPITOLINI MUSEUMS ::
The history of the museum dates back to 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV made a donation of important antique bronzes to the people. The museums were opened to the public in 1734 and are owned and operated by the people. Today they house a large collection of ancient Roman statues, inscriptions, and artefacts which include Renaissance and medieval art, jewels, and coins.
The Capitoline Museums are found in Piazza Campidoglio on Capitoline Hill are distributed in three buildings around the Piazza originally conceived by Michelangelo in 1536 and finished some 400 years later.
The museums are interlinked by an underground gallery beneath the Piazza leading to all three buildings;, the 15th century Palazzo dei Conservatori, the 17th century Palazzo Nuovo and the newest addition made in the early 20th century, the Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino was added to the museum complex.
The 12th century Palazzo Senatorio and the large statue of Oceano in the courtyard in front, complement the other buildings in the grand Piazza Campodoglio.
The museum in the Palazzo Nuovo, called Capitoline, is located on two floors and contains inscription, sarcophagi, busts, mosaics and other ancient Roman artefacts.
The Palazzo dei Conservatori, distributed on three floors, houses a museum of the same name on the first floor and contains mostly Roman sculpture but includes sculptures of Greek and Egyptian as well. Most of the exhibitions are closed to the public because of major renovations. The Conservator's Apartment is located on the second floor of this building and is open to the public for visits. Here you can admire the famous bronze of Romulus and Remus being nursed by the she-wolf which has become the emblem of Rome.
The Capitoline Art Gallery is found on the third floor of the Palace dei Conservatori and holds a collection of paintings by some like Caravaggio, Guercino, Tintoretto, Tiaiano Rubens, and many others.
In Palazzo Caffarelli one can visit the Capitoline Coin Cabinet which contains collections of coins, medals, and jewelry.