Museo Nazionale Romano
Palazzo Massimo alle Terme
(national roman museum - palazzo massimo
alle terme)
The building, which is in neo-sixteenth-century
style, was built between 1883 and 1887 as designed
by Camillo Pistrucci, in an area that was previously
occupied by the Villa Peretti, which had been
built by Sixtus V and was the home of the
Massimo family.
The area pertaining to the Villa was
gradually eroded in order to allow the construction
of buildings and the surrounding town layout,
in particular for the building of the Stazione
Termini.
It
was acquired by the state in 1981 and it was
subjected to substantial restoration and reinforcing
work aimed at adapting the building for exhibition
space.
Works
such as sculpture - portraits, reliefs,
statue portraits datable mostly from the late
Republican age to the early imperial age, that
testify the influence of Greek-Hellenistic art
on the Roman artists are housed on the ground
floor and the first floor.
The
so-called Generale di
Tivoli,
Augusto as Pontefice Massimo da Via Labicana, the
Fanciulla di Anzio, the Efebo da Subiaco, the
Afrodite da Villa Adriana are among the most
significant works of art on display.
It is
then possible to follow the typological evolution of
the official Roman portrait through a series
of works that document the styles adopted in the
imperial age on the basis of the features of the
emperors.
Some
of the more wellknown decorative elements
discovered on estates in Rome, characterised
by particular luxury and elegance are exhibited on
the second floor.
Even
if there are much fewer Roman wall paintings
than those found in the Pompeii and
Herculaneum area, Rome still has several
examples of an exceptional artistic level.
Several paintings from the Villa di Livia in
Prima Porta which have undergone careful
restoration work which has brought back to light
their original colours and details, and the
decorations of the Villa della Farnesina, probably
imperial property, of which four rooms of the nine
preserved have been reconstructed, are also on
display.
These
are particularly exquisite examples, which date from
around 20 BC Several examples of floor mosaics from
the Republican age can also be seen, they are in
black and white with small polychrome squares in the
centre and floors with more complex portraits from
the imperial age are also featured.
The Museum's numismatic collection is
particularly important.
It is
kept in a special vault in the basement. The vault
was installed during the most recent works on the
building. The coins on display are evidence of the
use of this element in the old; medieval and modern
ages.
There
are many unique examples and rarities. The
collection of the former Museo Kircheriano,
the Gnecchi collection and the medieval and
modern collection of Vittorio Emanuele III
of Savoia are among the collections on display.
For
Tours information
– private guided tours – special entrances, no waiting in
line - VIP services
www.tourinrome.com
www.vaticanmuseuminformation.com
www.vaticanmuseumticket.com
