Things to Do in Rome

Not to be confused with Florence's Palazzo Corsini, Rome's own Palazzo Corsini and the land it sits on changed hands many times over the centuries before coming to house the offices of the National Academy of Science and first-floor Corsini Gallery as it does today. Surrounded by formal gardens, the Baroque palace's gallery exhibits Italian art with Renaissance showstoppers such as Caravaggio's St John the Baptist (1606), St Sebastian (1614) by Rubens and works by Guido Reni, Fra'Angelico and Carracci. In addition, late 18th-century pieces, historical art and landscape paintings are included.

Otherwise known as the National Gallery of Antique Art or the Galleria Corsini, this gallery is somewhat of a hidden gem with its light crowds and extensive collection of ancient art. Travelers will love exploring the manicured grounds and can note that the gallery's Roman sister collections include Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Borghese.

Rome’s Museum of Contemporary Art (Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Roma, or MACRO) holds one of Italy’s most important collections of works by contemporary artists in two dramatic industrial spaces. A particular delight for 21st-century art and architecture lovers, the sibling museum venues are sure to impress even the most skeptical art critics.

There are two MACRO spaces: the larger on Via Nizza is a former Peroni brewery surrounded by elegant 19th-century apartment buildings that was restored by French architect Odile Decq. The permanent collection here concentrates on modern art including sculpture, photography, and installations from 1960 to today. The art museum’s underground parking lot holds remains of an ancient Roman house discovered during renovation of the brewery. The second location, MACRO Testaccio—aka Il Mattatoio—is located in a retrofitted slaughterhouse and is an exhibition hall that opens only for temporary events. This space is a fascinating stop on any walking tour of the Testaccio neighborhood, once a working-class district and now one of the trendiest neighborhoods in Rome. MACRO’s artworks and both buildings are highlights of Rome’s contemporary art and architecture tours.

The main MACRO venue is located on Via Nizza in Rome’s Salario-Nomentano neighborhood. Buses 38, 80,60, 62, 82, 89, and 90 all stop in the vicinity. The MACRO Testaccio exhibition hall is located on Piazza Orazio Giustiniani in the Testaccio neighborhood. Tram 3 and buses 719, 170, and 781 stop nearby.

Both MACRO locations are open year-round but closed on Mondays. They often host temporary events and exhibitions, so it’s a good idea to check the upcoming program to see what is scheduled.

Rome’s other contemporary and avant-garde art museum is MAXXI, in the residential Flaminio neighborhood near Ponte Milvio and Villa Borghese. The building, designed in 2010 by Zaha Hadid, is considered a masterpiece of contemporary architecture, and houses a permanent collection of art and photography as well as prestigious temporary exhibitions.

The National Roman Museum has four branches in Rome, but the main seat is Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, where one of the world's most important collections of classical art covers four floors, including sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, coins, and jewels dating from the late Republican period to the end of the Roman empire.  

The 19th-century neo-Renaissance Palazzo Massimo is known as Palazzo Massimo alle Terme due to its close proximity to the Baths of Diocletian. The palazzo was used as a Jesuit college until the 1960s and became the main branch of the National Roman Museum (Museo Nazionale Romano) in the 1980s. Today, it is home to important works like the Boxer at Rest, Sleeping Hermaphrodite, Discus Thrower, and Augustus as Pontifex Maximus sculptures; portrait busts from the Republican and Imperial Ages; frescoes and mosaics from the Villa of Livia; and an extensive coin collection.

A visit to the National Roman Museum is a must for ancient history buffs, and you can join a private or small-group tour with skip-the-line tickets for both the museum and the nearby Baths of Diocletian. 

Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is located just opposite the main Termini train station in central Rome, and can be reached on foot by crossing Piazza dei Cinquecento. Both of the city's metro lines and numerous bus lines stop at Termini.

The museum is closed on Mondays, but open all day the rest of the week. Stop in around midday when most visitors are taking break for lunch to enjoy the collection with fewer crowds.

Ancient Rome's largest thermal complex, the Terme di Diocleziano could once accommodate up to 3,000 bathers. The ruins of this vast complex are just next to Palazzo Massimo alle Terme and today house a branch of the Museo Nazionale Romano; the collection includes memorial inscriptions, bas-reliefs, sarcophagi, statuary, and monumental animal-head sculptures, thought to have come from the Trajan’s Forum.

Rome has been home to Italy’s most vibrant Jewish community for over 2000 years. The Jewish Museum of Rome records their history in seven ornate rooms displaying precious textiles, manuscripts, and silver, as well as a section dedicated to the Nazi occupation of Rome and tombstones moved from the catacombs beneath the city.

Located in the lower level of the Great Synagogue of Rome (Tempio Maggiore di Roma)—built in the former Jewish ghetto (Ghetto di Roma) and inaugurated in 1904—the Jewish Museum of Rome (Museo Ebraico di Roma) opened in 1960. A gallery displays marble fragments from the 16th to the 19th centuries that record elements of Roman Jewish life, from the purchase of cemetery plots to the wills of wealthy families. The highlight is the 3D virtual tour through the Jewish ghetto, which re-creates the original streets and buildings from historic prints and artworks.

Rome’s former Jewish ghetto is one of the most storied corners of the city, offering a fascinating glimpse into the culture and history of one of Europe’s oldest Jewish communities. Small-group Jewish ghetto tours generally include a guided tour of the main synagogue, the smaller Spanish Synagogue (Tempio Spagnolo), and the Jewish Museum.

The Jewish Museum is located in the Great Synagogue complex on Lungotevere de' Cenci, just across the Tiber River from Rome’s historic center. Take bus 40 from the Termini train station or walk across Ponte Garibaldi.

As part of the synagogue complex, the Jewish Museum of Rome is closed on Jewish holidays, so be sure to check the calendar before planning a visit.

Rome’s historic Jewish ghetto is now one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in the city, with tiny alleys and squares lined with kosher restaurants, bakeries, and shops.

The ruins of the ancient Roman city of Herculaneum (Ercolano) live in the shadow of their more famous neighbor, Pompeii. But many enthusiasts consider this smaller archaeological site—one of Italy’s most important UNESCO-listed spots—to be equally interesting and engaging. 

Herculaneum, like Pompeii, was buried by the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Unlike Pompeii, however, Herculaneum was preserved rather than destroyed by the blast, so many of the original Roman buildings are still standing—including a few that have an intact second story—giving visitors a more accurate feel for what the city looked like before the eruption. The volcanic ash and mud that covered Herculaneum sealed frescoes and mosaics decorating the homes and baths, protected wooden furniture, and even encased food in household kitchens. Today, the modern city of Ercolano sits above sections of the ancient city that haven’t yet been unearthed.

To fully understand the history and importance of the ruins, it’s best to visit Herculaneum as part of a private tour led by an expert tour guide. Herculaneum is an incredibly popular attraction, so tours including skip-the-line tickets are a must in the busy summer months. As the ruins are located near Pompeii and Mount Vesuvius, all three sights can easily be combined in a single full-day tour.

Herculaneum is located just north of Naples along the Bay of Naples. It’s centrally located for an easy day tour or shore excursion from Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and even Rome.

The archaeological site is almost entirely outdoors, so is best to avoid visiting on the hot days. In summer, visit in early morning or late afternoon to avoid midday heat.

Where much of Pompeii is off-limits to visitors due to the dangerous instability of the structures, almost all of Herculaneum is open to the public, and you can walk into many of the ancient Roman town’s buildings. The experience is eerie and poignant, as it can feel as though the owners have just stepped out for the moment rather than having died in an volcanic eruption two millennia ago.

A small and relatively unknown archaeological site of ancient Rome, the Largo di Torre Argentina is a square set around the sunken Area Sacra. The remains of four temples built between the 2nd and 4th centuries BC are some of the oldest ruins in the city. What’s left of the Republican-era structures was only just discovered in the 1920s due to construction in the area. The remains of the Theater of Pompey were also found here, said to be the site of Julius Caesar’s assassination.

The four temples are distinguished by letters A, B, C, and D, with temple D being the oldest (it is estimated the columns date back to the 2nd century BC.) They’re off limits to humans — however, the piazza has become somewhat of a cat sanctuary. There are nearly 300 stray cats that stay there, lounging on ancient platforms and strolling among history. The area is maintained by volunteers. Sidewalks surrounding the ruins lead to viewing platforms where visitors are welcome to interact with the cats.

Reopened to the public in 2011 after over 20 years of restoration work, the House of the Vestal Virgins is among the most fascinating of Rome’s ancient ruins. Dating back to the 6th century BC, the 50-room complex stood next to the Temple of Vesta, and was home to the six high priestesses of the Cult of Vesta. The priestesses, virgins chosen from noble Roman families, were tasked with keeping the sacred flame - revered as a symbol of Rome’s eternal life - of the Temple of Vesta alight and each served up to 30 years. 

Today, the sparse ruins merely hint at the once-lavish residence and mostly date back to 64AD, when it was rebuilt after a fire. Visitors can follow the ancient Via Nova from Palatine Hill to the Temple of Vesta, and view the remains of the large atrium, two-story portico and a series of statues the Vestales.

Among the ruins on the Palatine Hill is a structure that experts believe was built for Emperor Augustus' wife, Livia. It's known as the House of Livia, and is still being excavated.

The House of Livia was probably built in the early 1st century B.C.E., with frescoes added later in that century. Livia made this her primary residence, staying even after the emperor had died, when her son Tiberius became Rome's second emperor. The building's frescoes are wonderfully well-preserved, and feature an ancient trompe l'oeil effect with painted ceilings designed to look like coffers and painted scenes made to look like views through open windows.

Inside the Galleria Agostiniana and part of Rome’s must-see Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, the small Leonardo da Vinci Museum is dedicated entirely to Italy's great engineer and artist, featuring a collection of more than 60 inventions modeled after Leonardo’s machines. 

Initially a temporary exhibition, the Leonardo da Vinci Museum is now permanently housed adjacent the church on the busy Piazza del Popolo. The museum’s collection includes more than 120 pieces, including life-size machines built from Leonardo’s codices, anatomical studies, and sketches of his most famous Renaissance art, including The Last Supper, Vitruvian Man, and the Sforza equestrian sculpture. The museum is a popular stop during Rome city tours, so booking tickets in advance is recommended to avoid a long wait to enter.

The museum is located in Piazza del Popolo, not far from the Spanish Steps. Take tram 2; bus 89, 61, 495, 490, or 117; or metro line A (Flaminio stop).

The museum is a nice respite from the heat of Rome during summer, so plan to visit during the warmest midday hours.

Larger museums dedicated to the life and work of Leonardo are in Milan, Florence, and the artist’s hometown of Vinci, but the Leonardo da Vinci Museum in Rome offers a comprehensive look at his Renaissance works.

Among the many masterpieces inside St. Peter's Basilica, Michelangelo's majestic and moving La Pietà is perhaps the crown jewel. This remarkable life-size sculpture of the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Christ blends classical ideals of beauty with startling naturalism and is among the world’s most important works of art. 

Michelangelo carved La Pietà from a single block of Carrara marble in the late 1490s, and it is the only work the artist signed. Created as a funeral monument for the French cardinal Jean de Bilhères, the statue was moved to its current location in St. Peter’s Basilica in the 18th century. After being damaged by a vandal in 1972, La Pietà was placed behind a protective glass screen. 

Choose an early entrance or skip-the-line tour of St. Peter's Basilica to benefit from the knowledge of a guide and avoid a long wait to enter this popular sight. Tours of the basilica are often combined with a visit to St. Peter’s Dome or the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, where more of Michelangelo's works can be seen. Extended Vatican tours may also include the Vatican Gardens, Necropolis, and Bramante’s Staircase.

St. Peter’s Basilica is located on St. Peter’s Square (Piazza San Pietro) in Vatican City. The closest metro station is Ottaviano. La Pietà stands in the first chapel on the right when you enter the basilica.

St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most popular attractions in Rome and crowded most of the year. Early morning is the best time to visit to beat the crowds and enjoy the beauty of the largest church in the world and the art inside virtually to yourself.

In addition to Michelangelo’s stunning masterpiece, the basilica is home to a number of important works of art. Be sure to admire Bernini’s ornate Papal altar and baldacchino, as well as his equestrian statue of Constantine. The interior of the church is covered with over 100,000 square feet (9,290 square meters) of mosaics, much of which reproduce famous Renaissance paintings, including Raphael’s Transfiguration. Another work of note is the funerary monument  dedicated to Clement XIII, created by Canova at the end of the 18th century and famous for its meticulously sculpted lions. 

Orvieto’s magnificent cathedral (duomo) can be seen from miles around, its soaring facade and spires towering high above the rooftops of the clifftop town. Once you get closer, you can take in its intricate external mosaics and stonework, rose window, bronze doors, and sumptuous Signorelli frescoes inside.

 

Orvieto Cathedral (Duomo di Orvieto) is considered one of the most beautiful churches in Italy, begun in the early 1200s based on a design by Arnolfo di Cambio, who also designed Florence’s duomo. The original plan was Romanesque, but was transformed into the more fashionable Italian Gothic over the centuries; the facade designed by Sienese sculptor and architect Lorenzo Maitani is one of the great architectural masterpieces of its time, covered with splendid mosaics and bas-reliefs and crowned by Orcagna’s 14th-century rose window. Inside, the main nave has the same stark stripes of white travertine and gray basalt stone as the external walls, but the apse is richly frescoed, as are the Chapel of the Corporal and the Chapel of the Madonna of San Brizio, the latter decorated by Signorelli’s masterful Apocalypse and the Last Judgment fresco cycle.

 

Orvieto is just over an hour outside Rome, and a popular day trip along with nearby Cività di Bagnoregio and Assisi. Join a walking tour of Orvieto that includes an in-depth visit of the Cathedral, or zip around the medieval center on an electric bike. The entrance to Orvieto’s popular underground tour is just across the square from the duomo, so you can easily pair a visit to the town’s most famous above-ground attraction with a tour of its warren of underground tunnels and caves.

 

 

The Orvieto Duomo is on Piazza Duomo in Orvieto’s pedestrian-only historic center and can only be reached on foot. You can reach Orvieto from Rome by car or train in just over an hour.

 

Orvieto’s two main celebrations—Festa della Palombella on Pentecost and Corpus Domini—center around celebrations, processions, and ceremonial games in the square just outside the duomo and are a particularly festive time to visit.

 

Orvieto’s impressive cathedral was built to house the Corporal of Bolsena. A corporal is a small square of cloth that holds the communion host and wine chalice during Mass, and in 1263 a host is said to have miraculously dripped blood onto the corporal below in the nearby town of Bolsena. The stained cloth, known as the Corporal of Bolsena, is now displayed in the duomo’s Chapel of the Corporal, and has been attracting pilgrims for almost 800 years.

The whole of Palatine Hill could be considered an open-air museum, with its remains of palaces and villas dating from the Roman Empire. Within this area, however, there is also a dedicated Palatine Museum (Museo Palatino) where you can see the wealth of ancient Roman artifacts unearthed from the hillside over decades of excavation.

The archaeological remains located on Rome’s Palatine Hill are among the most fascinating in Italy, but the treasures recovered during excavations here are kept inside the Palatine Museum. This hilltop museum is home to a collection of artifacts, sculptures, frescoes, and mosaics dating from long before the city of Rome was officially founded to the golden age of the Palatine Hill in the first and second centuries. Also on display is an interesting reconstruction of the huts where Romulus, founder of Rome, and his brother Remus lived.

To best understand the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill and the artifacts inside the museum, book a private tour led by an expert guide that includes the area’s most important imperial palaces—Emperor Domitian’s Domus Flavia, the House of Augustus, the Casa di Livia, and the Domus Augustana—and the Palatine Museum. You can combine many Palatine Hill and Museum tours with stops at the nearby Roman Forum and Colosseum, with a single ticket for access to all three sites.

The Palatine Museum is located on Palatine Hill just above the Roman Forum, with entrance from Via di San Gregorio. The nearest metro stop is Colosseo along line B.

Most of the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill are outdoors, so it’s best to visit on a clear day. The museum collections are indoors, but you should visit both the park and museum in one go.

The museum was first opened in the 1930s by the Italian archaeologist Alfonso Bartoli, who gathered artifacts found in the surrounding excavation site in this former 19th-century convent. After a long closure after World War II, the museum was renovated and reopened in the late 1960s. 

Amid Rome’s ancient ruins and Renaissance masterpieces, MAXXI—Italy’s national contemporary art museum—is a refreshing change of pace. The museum includes a space dedicated to art and another to architecture, but is perhaps most famous for the striking building itself, designed by prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid.

The National Museum of 21st-Century Art (Museo Nazionale Delle Arti del XXI Secolo) has a large permanent collection of paintings, installations, video art, and photography dating from 1970 to today, and also holds temporary exhibitions highlighting artists from around the globe. Given its location on the outskirts of the city center, tourists often overlook MAXXI, offering art buffs the chance to stroll its dynamic 300-foot-long (90-meter) galleries at leisure and admire architect Zaha Hadid’s maze-like structure featuring soaring open spaces and skylights. 

MAXXI is often a photo stop on Rome architecture tours, and you can peek at its spacious galleries inside to fully appreciate the building’s beauty.

MAXXI is located on Via Guido Reni 4a in Rome’s Flaminio neighborhood. Take metro line A to Piazzale Flaminio, where you board the line 2 tram to Apollodoro. If arriving by bus, lines 168 and 910 take you to the Reni/Flaminia stop, just a 5-minute walk from the museum, or take line 53 to De Coubertin/Palazzetto dello Sport.

The museum is open 11am to 7pm Tuesday through Sunday with extended hours (until 10pm) on Thursday; it is closed on Monday, Christmas, and May 1. A bit north of the center of Rome, MAXXI is never as crowded as the city’s more famous museums, and serves as a welcome respite from the crush of tourists in the summer months.

The late Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid was the first woman to receive the Pritzker Architecture Prize, and is known for her curving, organic-shaped buildings. MAXXI took about 10 years to complete and is considered among Hadid’s finest works.

Established in 1970, Paciotti Salumeria (the word ‘salumeria’ translates roughly as ‘a shop selling cured meats’, but this place is so much more) is one of Rome’s best-loved and smartest gastro-emporiums, family-run over four generations and located in a tangle of backstreets north of the Vatican City. A visual and aromatic delight, the store is known throughout Rome for its superb selection of salamis, smoked meats and fine Parma hams. There’s a wide choice of Italian cheeses—from Dolcelatte to Parmiggiano and Gorgonzola—and the very freshest of bread delivered daily. Other treats include homemade pastas, extra-virgin olive oils and exclusive (and expensive) seasonal truffles.

An experienced sommelier is on hand to advise on buying some of Italy’s best wines, from reds and whites to sparkling Astis and the Italian liqueur grappa. Paciotti also offers a gift service and its hampers can be delivered across the world; the gourmet store is also on several tours of the very best of Rome’s gastronomy.

Fiumicino International Airport is the largest and busiest in Italy, serving nearly 40 million passengers a year.  Situated in Fiumicino just outside of Rome, it is the major airport serving the Rome area. It is also known as Leonardo da Vinci airport, the inventor behind some of the earliest helicopters and aircraft.

Fiumicino airport opened in 1961 to replace the smaller Ciampino airport for most major international flights. Today more than 160 airlines serving 150 destinations depart from the air travel hub. Domestic flights to other parts of Italy do depart from here, though the majority of shorter flights still leave from Ciampino. Terminals were upgraded in the 1990s and 2000s and the airport continues to grow and expand. It serves as the hub for Alitalia, Italy’s biggest airline, and is the eighth busiest airport in Europe.

Of Rome’s seven legendary hills, Palatine Hill figures most importantly in the capital’s history and lore. It is said that Romulus founded Rome on this hilltop, and many of the city’s most important archaeological sites dating from ancient times are located here.

The remains of a number of palaces and villas built during the Roman empire are spread across Palatine Hill, including the House of Augustus (Casa di Augustus), Casa di Livia (residence of the emperor’s wife), and Emperor Domitian’s Domus Flavia, Domus Augustana, and Hippodrome. What remains of the 16th-century Farnese Gardens (Orti Farnesiani) are located on the ruins of the palace of Emperor Tiberius, offering beautiful views over the city. Palatine Hill is also home to the Palatine Museum, with a collection of artifacts discovered in the area’s archaeological digs and a historic reconstruction of the huts where Romulus and Remus lived.

The Palatine Hill ruins are not easy to interpret to the untrained eye, as they are much less preserved than those in the Roman Forum. To best understand the sites and their historical and cultural importance, join a Palatine Hill tour led by a tour guide well versed in Roman history. Many walking tours and small-group tours stop at other ancient Roman monuments such as the nearby Colosseum and Forum, while others include a private tour guide and skip-the-line access to avoid any long lines. Consider combining your Palatine visit with a Colosseum tour, as single-entry tickets are available for Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and Colosseum.

Palatine Hill is the centermost of Rome’s seven hills, located just above the Roman Forum. The nearest metro stop is Colosseo along line B.

Since most of the archaeological ruins on Palatine Hill are outdoors, try to visit on a day with clear skies and mild temperatures. During the summer, the best times to visit are in the early morning or late afternoon.

This hillside overlooking the Circus Maximus and the Roman Forum is still being excavated, and archaeologists have recently unearthed a palace believed to be the birthplace of Augustus—Rome’s first emperor. They have also found an underground cave that may have been the site of the ancient city’s Lupercalia celebrations, marking the spot where the she-wolf nursed Rome’s founder, Romulus, and his twin brother, Remus.

Rome was a popular stop for artists and writers during the Italian Grand Tour of centuries past. The Keats-Shelley House pays homage to a particular group of Romantic poets—specifically John Keats, who briefly lived in the house at the end of his life—who resided in Italy’s Eternal City during the early 19th century.

English poet John Keats moved into this house at the base of the Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna in late 1820, and died from tuberculosis here just a few months later. While the objects in his room were burned after he died, a replica of his bed and his death mask are now on display. The rest of this small museum contains letters, art, and other objects related to Byron, Elizabeth and Robert Browning, Oscar Wilde, and Percy Bysshe Shelley (whose name is on the house, though he never lived here). The historic site is managed by the Keats-Shelley Memorial Association, which often holds literary events in English at the museum.

Rome walking and bike tours that include a stop in Piazza di Spagna can include a visit to the Keats-Shelley House, as well as other city highlights like the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum.

The Keats-Shelley House is at in Piazza di Spagna, on the right side of the base of the Spanish Steps. It is easily reached from metro line A’s Spagna stop. 

The museum is open 10am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm Monday to Saturday; it is closed Sunday as well as December 8 and December 24 through January 1. It’s busiest from Easter to October, when you should plan to arrive first thing in the morning to explore before the crowds arrive.  

Keats lived in the Rome house with artist friend Joseph Severn, whose portraits of the poet hang in various places around the museum.

The Palazzo di Montecitorio is the seat of the Chamber of Deputies, the house of Italy’s parliament. It was completed under Pope Innocent X in 1650, designed by Bernini and afterwards expanded by Carlo Fontana. It was the pope's vision to house the Pontifical Curia here, but the building ended up serving a variety of functions over the years until it became the seat of the Chamber of Deputies later on. Although the look of the building has changed over the years and it got a makeover in the Art Nouveau style in the early 20th century, the clock tower, column, window sills and the baroque Bernini façade remain the same. 

A newer addition is the long salon, where informal political discussions and agreements take place, leading to it being referred to as the informal center of Italian politics. The salon’s name, Transatlantico, refers to a construction company from Palermo. Although they did a great job on the decorations and the interior design, they were, at the time, best known for working on passenger ships.

Featuring Greek and Roman antiquities that once belonged to Rome’s nobility, the Palazzo Altemps offers a glimpse into the past — as well as into Rome’s Renaissance. The collection contains many marble statues in addition to frescoes, mosaics, and intricately decorated ceilings. Most famously it also houses the Ludovisi art collection. Curated by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi in the 17th century, it includes such classical pieces as Trono Ludovisi (Ludovisi Throne), a carved marble block with a relief of the goddess Venus. The Galata Suicida (Gaul’s Suicide) is another grouping of masterful statues that is a highlight for many.

Aside from the Roman pieces there is also a fine Egyptian collection on display featuring many Eastern antiquities. The building itself features a large scenic courtyard and many rooms filled with classical sculpture. The 15th century palazzo is one of four buildings across the city that make up the National Roman Museum.