The city of Rome may be in itself a giant museum, but it is still full of some of the world’s most celebrated show rooms displaying globally significant art and artefacts, most notably the Vatican Museums. But hundreds of other, smaller and more intimate spaces host delightfully curated shows that will complement any summer holiday in Rome (not to mention provide the best excuse to escape the heat on the hottest days!)
Preparing for the Andy Warhol Exhibition at Palazzo della Cipolla.
Below I’ve listed four of my favorite museums located near traditional tour route through the city that are currently featuring temporary exhibitions that deserve a quick visit.
Musei Capitolini
Michelangelo in Rome
Perched atop the Capitoline Hill with a beautiful view of the forums, the Musei Capitolini is hosting an exhibit commemorating the 450th anniversary of Michelangelo’s death in 1564. Explore the complexity of his work through drawings, paintings, sculptures and architectural models, as well as autobiographical writings and some of his poems. Learn more here
Musei Capitolini, Piazza del Campidoglio
Tuesday – Sunday, 9am – 8pm, through September 14
Castel Sant’Angelo
Castel Sant’Angelo
Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the first World War, 1914-1918, the exhibition hightlights the role of Castel Sant’Angelo during the war. The exhibition is organized into 5 areas: war technology, war tales, photojournalism, monuments to the fallen, and war relics. Learn more here
Castel Sant’Angelo Lungotevere Castello 50
Tuesday – Sunday, 9am – 7:30pm, through January 11, 2015
Palazzo Cipolla
Andy Warhol in Rome
Peter Brant’s Andy Warhol collection is one of the largest in the world with over 15,000 works, including paintings, photographs, sculptures, and a series of Polaroids that are being shown in Europe for the first time. As the Father of Pop Art, his work explores intersections between artistic expression, celebrity culture, and commercial advertisement during the 1960s. Learn more here
Palazzo Cipolla, Via del Corso 320
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 8pm, through September 28
Palazzo delle Esposizioni
Special Exhibitions at the Palazzo delle Espsizioni – The Etruscans and the Mediterranean, and Pier Paolo Pasolini
The enormous Palazzo delle Esposizioni is hosting several fantastic exhibitions currently. One of them features an introspective look into the artist, intellect, writer, poet and filmmaker, Pier Paolo Pasolini.
In contrast, the exhibition Gli Etruschi e il Meditteraneo – La Citta’ di Cerveteri (The Etruscans and the Mediterranean – the city of Cerveteri) explores the ancient Mediterranean world through the lens of a single stronghold, the city of Cerveteri, located just 50 km northwest of Rome. The scrupulously curated exhibition highlights artefacts borrowed from collections all over the world, including the Vatican, the British Museum, the NY Carlsberg Glyptotek in Copenhagen and the Berlin Antikensammlung.
Learn more here
Via Nazionale 194 (between Piazza Venezia and Piazza della Repubblica)
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 10am – 8pm, and Friday, Saturday 10am – 10:30pm
Did you buy a Rome Pass? Perfect! Rome Pass is valid at all four of these museums! To learn more about Rome Pass, read our post about it here!
