Palaces
Amongst the palaces of the city, one of the most fascinating architectural structures and one that preserves priceless art treasures is Palazzo Altemps, which currently houses the National Roman Museum. Its current form is the result of events, which ended in the mid sixteenth century, which grouped together various buildings in the area that have been there since ancient times. In 1511 the palace was bought by Cardinal Francesco Sederini, who commissioned work from Antonio da Sangallo the Elder and Baldassarre Peruzzi to enlarge and decorate the structure. After many events that had a profound effect on the development of the interior over the course of its long history, the palace, which had become the property of the Holy See in the XIX century, was sold to private individuals in 1982 and is today largely used by Rome’s Archaeological Superintendency, for the National Roman Museum.
In Via delle Quattro Fontane you can visit the Baroque Palazzo Barberini, a treasure chest that houses testimonies of the work of some of the greatest talents in seventeenth century Rome. A visit to the National Museum of Ancient Art, through the rooms of the place, offers the possibility to admire works and paintings by great artists like Perugino, Raphael, Andrea del Sarto, Dosso Dossi and many others. A great deal of importance and space are obviously given to works from the seventeenth century, featuring those by Caravaggio, like the marvellous “Judith and Holofernes”.
Overlooking Piazza del Campidoglio, behind the Imperial Fora and the Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, is Palazzo dei Conservatori, home of the Capitoline Museum, where you can admire some of the most suggestive artistic and archaeological testimonies of ancient Rome.
