The Capitoline Museums, dated 1471, are a group of art and archaeological museums designed by Michelangelo on top of the Capitoline Hill in Rome, Italy. It’s the world’s oldest national museums, the “treasure box” full of art masterpieces of ancient Roman sculptures, collections of medieval and Renaissance art, and other artifacts. Today I share the photos of masterpieces I have photographed in Musei Capitolini:

  • The Statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. It is a copy in the photo, the original being housed inside the Capitoline Museums (where photography is prohibited). Many Roman statues were destroyed on the orders of Christian Church authorities in the Middle Ages; this statue was preserved in the erroneous belief that it depicted the Emperor Constantine, who made Christianity the official state religion of the Roman empire.
  • The Statue of Capitoline Venus (Venere Capitolina), a sensual yet demure portrayal of the nude goddess. A sculpture, of slightly larger than life size dimensions, was found near Basilica of San Vitale around 1666-1670.
  • The Capitoline Wolf, a bronze sculpture of the She-wolf Lupa suckling twin infants Romulus and Remus, inspired by the legend of the founding of Rome. The Capitoline Wolf has been housed since 1471 in the Palazzo dei Conservatori on the Campidoglio (the ancient Capitoline Hill).
  • The Head, Hand and Foot of a 12 meters (36 foot) high colossal Statue of Constantine that originally stood in the Basilica di Massenzio in the Roman Forum.
  • The Spinario, Boy with Thorn, also called Fedele (Fedelino), is a Greco-Roman Hellenistic bronze sculpture of a boy withdrawing a thorn from the sole of his foot.
  • Madonna in glory with Saints Peter and Paul, painting by Marcello Venusti.
  • Madonna and child with angels, fresco by Andrea d’Assisi.

Click on image to view full size.

The Michelangelo's Staircase to The Capitoline Museums

The Michelangelo’s Staircase to The Capitoline Museums

The Statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius

The Statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius

The Capitoline Wolf

The Capitoline Wolf

Madonna in Glory with Saints Peter and Paul and Madonna and Child with Angels (Left)

Madonna in Glory with Saints Peter and Paul and Madonna and Child with Angels (Left)

The Statue of Capitoline Venus

The Statue of Capitoline Venus

The Head of the Statue of Constantine

The Head of the Statue of Constantine

The Spinario

The Spinario

The Busts in The Capitoline Museums

The Busts in The Capitoline Museums

Fontana del Marforio

Fontana del Marforio

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums

Masterpieces From the Capitoline Museums