Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Altemps

About the museum

The first nucleus of Palazzo Altemps was built in the 15th century at the wish of Girolamo Riario, lord of Imola and nephew of Pope Sixtus IV. In 1568 the palace was bought by Cardinal Marco Sittico Altemps, nephew of Pope Pius IV, who made it his residence and housed there a magnificent collection of antiquities and a precious library. The Altemps family lived there for a long time, until the mid-19th century. In 1883 the wedding of Gabriele D'Annunzio and Maria Hardouin was celebrated there, and at the end of the century the building was sold to the Holy See, which assigned it to the Pontifical Spanish College.

In 1982 the Italian state began acquiring the palace, a process completed in 2006. After a long restoration, the museum opened to the public in December 1997. Today Palazzo Altemps is the seat of the Museo Nazionale Romano devoted to the history of collecting: it houses masterpieces of ancient sculpture from famous noble collections, such as those of the Altemps, Boncompagni Ludovisi and Mattei Del Drago families, as well as sculptures from the Jandolo, Veneziani and Brancaccio collections, an Egyptian collection, the Pallavicini Rospigliosi frescoes and the vast archaeological collection of the collector Evan Gorga.

The display aims to integrate the marbles into the decorative context of the rooms, reviving the solutions of the ancient antiquarian collections. The route develops over two floors, through a sequence of decorated halls, staircases and corridors.

Highlights

• Ancient sculptures from the Altemps and Boncompagni Ludovisi collections
• Archaeological collection of Evan Gorga
• Egyptian collection
• Pallavicini Rospigliosi frescoes
• 16th-century palace with courtyard and decorated halls

Operated by

Ministero della Cultura – Museo Nazionale Romano

Admission & discounts

The single ticket of €15 gives one admission to each venue of the Museo Nazionale Romano and is valid for one week from the first validation; the reduced ticket costs €2. Tickets issued before 19 May 2025 remain valid.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The venues of the Museo Nazionale Romano are listed as 100% accessible: internal mobility is guaranteed by lifts and ramps, and wheelchairs are available on request. Toilets for people with disabilities are currently on the offices floor, and if necessary staff accompany the visitor to the second floor.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The palace is a few steps from Piazza Navona, near the left bank of the Tiber, in Campo Marzio.

Amenities & dining

• Coat check

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit