Museo Nazionale Romano

Museo Nazionale Romano
The museum has four branches located in different buildings: Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Baths of Diocletian and the Crypta Balbi.

Palazzo Massimo
Palazzo Massimo is home to one of the most prestigious collections of classical art in the world. Over four floors of sculptures, frescoes, mosaics, coins and jewellery documenting the evolution of Roman art. Some of the most famous pieces are the Boxer at rest, the Discobolus of Myron, a Sleeping Hermaphrodites, the Maiden from Anzio, a Daughter of Niobe dying from an arrow wound and a bronze Dionysus, while the reconstruction of the triclinium from Livia’s Villa and the rooms from the Farnesina Villa give us an idea of how Roman residences were decorated.

Palazzo Altemps
16th century Palazzo Altemps houses one of the most important collections of antiquities and a significant collection of Egyptian artefacts. In the partly frescoed rooms visitors can admire Greek and Roman statues which once belonged to noble Roman families in the 16th and 17th centuries. The bookshop of the Palazzo Altemps Museum specialising in archaeology, architecture and design was recently located on the façade overlooking Piazza di Sant’Apollinare, in spaces totally refurbished for the purpose. The key features of the new bookshop are its custom-designed transparent and airy display spaces. It also features lamps by Ingo Maurer, which will incorporate drawings by architects and artists who work with and visit Palazzo Altemps. The interior is designed as a relaxation area in which to stop and examine the books on display. The published works include catalogues and further insight into the exhibitions held.

The Baths of Diocletian
Diocletian’s baths are the grandest baths ever built in the Roman world. Constructed between 298 and 306 AD, the baths were converted in 1562 by Michelangelo, who transformed them into the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels and the Martyrs and started the construction of a charterhouse. There is also a section dedicated to the early history of Latin populations, with over 400 sculptures and an important epigraphic collection.

Crypta Balbi
The Crypt is an archaeological dig in the heart of the city documenting the evolution of the city’s architecture through history. Its museum explains the history of the dig and its findings, creating a homogenous timeline of Roman history.

The selection available at the four bookshops reflects the collections exhibited at each venue, offering books in Italian and foreign languages, catalogues of ongoing exhibitions, stationery and collectibles inspired by Roman art. The bookshop at Diocletian’s baths renews and diversifies its selection during exhibitions of modern and contemporary art.
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