Capitoline Museums

The world's oldest public museum, founded in 1471, occupies two palaces flanking Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio. The bronze Marcus Aurelius on horseback (the original, moved indoors) anchors a collection that spans ancient Roman sculpture, Renaissance painting, and medieval art. The Dying Gaul and Capitoline Venus are standouts. An underground passageway connecting the two buildings runs through the ancient Tabularium, offering framed views directly over the Roman Forum below — one of Rome's least-known great vantage points. The museum rarely feels overcrowded despite its central location, making it a welcome counterpoint to the Vatican crush.