CAMPIDOGLIO AND CAPITOLINE MUSEUMS, Capitoline Museums Sculpture

The itinerary of the Capitoline Museums takes you through all three of the palaces in the square, and I suggest setting aside a few hours: remember that ancient sculptures have been collected and exhibited in Campidoglio since the 1400s! The collections are mostly dedicated to classical sculpture, but you'll also see magnificent Renaissance and Baroque halls, grandiose statues of the popes, a rich art gallery, the incredibly suggestive passage along the arches of the Tabularium with a view of the Forum, and can then end your tour perfectly with a wonderful drink out in the open, weather permitting, in the coffee shop that offers an incomparable panoramic terrace where the entire Eternal City spreads out below you.

In all this abundance, let me suggest a few pieces you absolutely can't miss: a few classic sculptures, the extraordinary Marcus Aurelius, and the Art Gallery.

Among the ancient sculptures I especially recommend the Lupa Capitolina, or Capitoline Wolf, one of the most famous symbols of ancient Rome. According to tradition, Romulus and Remus were two twins that were born of the union between the god Mars and the priestess Rea Silvia. Abandoned after birth, the legend says that they were suckled by a wolf and then adopted by a peasant family. Later, Romulus founded the city of Rome in 753 BC, on the day that is still considered the "Christmas of Rome", April 21st. Just think, this magnificent bronze wolf is about 2500 years old! The twins, also in bronze, were added many centuries later during the Renaissance....