Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Massimo

About the museum

Palazzo Massimo was built between 1883 and 1887 by the Jesuit Massimiliano Massimo, to a design by Camillo Pistrucci and inspired by the great 16th-century palaces, to house the new seat of the Jesuit College. In 1981 it was purchased by the State to become one of the seats of the Museo Nazionale Romano; the radical renovation of the building was entrusted to Costantino Dardi, and the museum opened to the public in 1998.

The exhibition route follows a chronological and thematic approach and, referring to the contexts of discovery, evokes the accumulation of the 16th-century collections. The works come from excavations carried out in Rome and the surrounding area since 1870. It begins with the theme of portraiture and its evolution, with Greek originals such as the Niobide degli Horti Sallustiani, the Pugilatore and the Principe ellenistico, and continues on the first floor with copies and reworkings of ideal sculptures, such as the Discoboli Lancellotti and di Castel Porziano, and with large sarcophagi such as those of Portonaccio, Acilia and the Annona.

The second floor is devoted to frescoes, while the basement houses a selection from the Medagliere of the Museo Nazionale Romano, dedicated to the economy and the use of money, with coins, jewellery, household objects and documents on the cost of everyday life.

Highlights

• Roman portraits, including Augustus as pontifex maximus and the General of Tivoli
• Greek originals such as the Niobide, the Pugilatore and the Principe ellenistico
• Discoboli Lancellotti and di Castel Porziano
• Sarcophagi of Portonaccio, Acilia and the Annona
• Frescoes on the second floor
• Medagliere of the Museo Nazionale Romano in the basement

Permanent exhibitions

• Ritratti, sculture e sarcofagi – Ground and first floors: portraits from the Archaic age to the Empire, Greek originals in marble and bronze, copies of ideal sculptures and large sarcophagi.
• Affreschi – The second floor is entirely devoted to frescoes from the excavations of Rome and its surroundings.
• Medagliere del Museo Nazionale Romano – Basement: coins, jewellery, household objects and documents that tell the story of the economy and the use of money.

Founded

1998

Operated by

Ministero della Cultura – Museo Nazionale Romano

Visitors per year

approx. 151,077

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month; free openings on 1 November and 4 November 2026.

The single ticket costs €15 and is valid for all seats of the Museo Nazionale Romano, with one entry to each seat within a week of the first entry (the Crypta Balbi site is temporarily closed). Tickets are non-refundable. Conditions for reduced and free admission are on the museum's website.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: not available
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description

The route is free of architectural barriers. Accessible entrance to the right of the staircase (ring the intercom); lifts and accessible toilets on the first floor. A wheelchair is available free of charge at each seat. There is no reserved parking, but you can ask to wait in the internal area during the visit, if this does not interfere with museum activities. Free tactile visits by reservation (mn-rm.servizioeducativo@cultura.gov.it), a guide in Braille, simplified-language guides from the “Musei per tutti” project and, in the “MNR su misura” app, audio-described routes and routes in LIS. Staff are trained to give simple directions in LIS.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The “MNR su misura” app offers routes for children and families. Changing tables at the Terme di Diocleziano and at Palazzo Altemps; pushchairs can be left at the cloakroom or the ticket office.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop: not available
• Coat check
• Lockers: not available

Café Massimo, accessible from inside the museum and from via Giovanni Amendola 6. Unattended cloakroom, without lockers. No bookshop in the Museo Nazionale Romano seats.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit