We Almost Skipped the World's Oldest Museum (Don't Make Our Mistake)

When you're in Rome and your list already includes the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Vatican, and like 15 churches you wandered into by accident, the thought of adding another museum into the mix feels like ancient overload. We were honestly a little museum'd out… the Capitoline wasn't even on our radar.

But then one of our tour guides casually dropped two facts that stopped me in my tracks: it's the world's oldest public museum, and the ramp leading up to it was designed by Michelangelo.

I literally said out loud, "wait, what is one of the most famous artists in the history of the world doing designing a staircase??" …and that was it. We were going.

We carved out a couple of hours one cool, overcast morning and headed over. And oh my goodness, I am so glad we did.

First of All, Those Stairs

Ok, so you haven't even made it inside yet and you're already doing something cool.

The wide ramped staircase that leads you up to the museum entrance was designed by Michelangelo. Not inspired by Michelangelo. Not in the style of Michelangelo. Actually designed by him, back in the 1500s. 

He made it as a ramp instead of actual stairs so that horses could walk up comfortably. And I don't know why but I found that so endearing… like, they really looked out for their horses. Only in Rome would even the horses get the Michelangelo treatment.

It's the Oldest Museum in the World?

Yes. The Capitoline Museums have been open to the public since 1471, making it the world's oldest! That's 550+ years. The Louvre didn't exist yet. The British Museum was centuries away. And Romans were already walking through these galleries.

It's one of those facts that just kind of floors you when you're standing there in person.

The Chariot Though 

The museum has some really incredible pieces, but by far my favorite thing was seeing a real, ancient Roman chariot up close. It’s displayed out in the open so you can look at it up close and it’s  genuinely spectacular! Looking at the ornate craftsmanship and thinking about where that thing has been, what it's seen, was so amazing!  I stood there longer than I expected to.

If nothing else gets you through the door, let it be the chariot.

The Emperor Statue Will Make You Feel Very Small

Outside in the courtyard, there's a colossal reconstruction of a seated Roman emperor, Constantine, and I mean colossal. His foot is roughly the size of a full-grown adult. We took the obligatory standing-next-to-the-giant-foot photo and honestly it doesn't even do it justice in pictures.

It's designed to make you feel insignificant, and it works perfectly.

Marcus Aurelius Is Kind of a Big Deal

Another impressive piece is the original bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, one of the only ancient Roman bronzes of its kind that survived. Most were melted down over the centuries. This one made it through, and it is stunning. 

There's something wild about being this close to something that old and that well-preserved.

The Symbol of Rome

You've seen the Capitoline Wolf on basically every Roman souvenir, logo, and mural in the city. It's the she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus, the twin founders of Rome. The literal origin story of this entire city.

But seeing the actual bronze up close is completely different from seeing it on a magnet. The detail in the fur, the posture, the tiny babies underneath… it's striking. Rome's founding myth, right there in front of you. Pretty hard not to stop and snap photos of it from every angle.

Don't Skip the Rooftop

Here's what I really want you to know: go all the way to the top of the museum!

There's a café up there, and the view from the terrace is one of the most gorgeous in all of Rome. We grabbed coffee and stepped outside. It’s so fun to overlook Rome and get some pictures of this incredible city from high up.

Bottom Line

The Capitoline Museums almost didn't make our list. And that would have been such a miss.

In about an hour, we saw the world's oldest public museum, walked up stairs designed by Michelangelo, stood next to a genuine ancient Roman chariot, got dwarfed by an emperor, and had coffee with one of the best views in Rome.

Don't skip this one. Seriously.