The first thing that strikes visitors about the Palazzo Massimo (the most important branch of National Roman Museum) is its unusual convex façade and its curving stance along the ancient papal way that is the Corso Vittorio Emanuele. It is surprising to know that the Palazzo stands on the foundations of an ancient Roman theatre (Domitian Odeon) as the Romans built directly on the ruins of fallen constructs. You will spot the palazzo right across the street from stazione Termini and it’s visible from afar.
The interiors of the palazzo are ornamental with their decorative walls, coffered vaults and ceilings full of motifs but the exterior stone frames are simple with only plain ribbon detailing.
The building is lovely enough to have its own fan following though its contents comprise of very important antique statuary and frescoes. The architects guide to Rome describes Palazzo Massimo as original elegant architecture that has amazing detailing….one of the best inventions of Roman mannerisms. And about the priceless artefacts inside the museum….most of the art was stored in the Roma city works yard. Rome is a very old city and anytime a new civil project was undertaken (involving digging) artefacts were excavated and stored in the yard. In fact the palazzo Massimo has exhibits that state where and when it was discovered and sometimes by whom!!
History
Widely accepted as the main seat of the Roman National Museum, it’s hard to believe that the Palazzo Massimo was built just to become a Jesuit boarding school. This superbly designed neo renaissance style villa was actually used as a Jesuit college till 1960. Now it’s referred to as Palazzo Massimo Alla Terme due to its proximity to the Diocletian Baths.
The current building was commissioned by Prince Massimiliano Massimo who wanted to give the Jesuit Collegio Romano that was housed inside the convent of Sant’ignazio church a better address as the convent was taken over by the Italian government and made it the first of its kind public secular school. The architect Camilo Pistrucci used a neo cinquecentesco style to create the palace. It was widely hailed as one of the best and beautiful schools in Rome.
During World War 2 it was converted into a military hospital and then it resumed its scholastic functions till 1960’s after which the school shifted to a new address. The beautiful palazzo was falling into disrepair before the Italian government bought it for 19 million lire and gave it to the National Roman Museum. The restoration work began in 1983 and finished in 1998. Subsequently the Palazzo Massimo became the leading branch of the national Roman Museum as well as the headquarters of the agency of ministry of cultural heritage and activities of Italy.
The focus of the museum is on showcasing the art of painters, goldsmith, mosaic artists, and sculptors etc. who created between the republican ages to late antiquity. It is the only ranch out of the 4 of National Roman Museums to have an extensive numinastic collection.
What to See and Do
Basement (Underground Numinastic Collection)
The layout of the numinastic section is interesting and very clear in explaining the significance of the collection. The vault is lined all throughout with coins that deck the sides in a U formation. When you enter, the Early Roman bronze coins are what you see first. Each coin section is clearly marked and you will see coins of the Middle Republic, Late Republic, Civil War period so on. The imperial period groupings are also very interesting. For example, there are coins of Crisis of 3rd century, coins of the flavian dynasty. You will notice that the coins keep on including more gold progressively thus showing that the Roman society was accumulating more and more wealth.
There are coins off the Ostrogothic kingdom, the Byzantine kingdom and the later kingdoms of Italy till the modern era that includes the Italian lire, Euro and the computer demonstration of live European stock exchange. It’s almost like a chronological history lesson of the economic aspects of Italy. An observant visitor will be able to identify the high and low wealth periods of the Italian lands as the coins are sometimes gold, sometimes silver and sometimes in a range of other metals of different economic values. Frequent change of the faces of kings on the coins show instability in the land and the manufacture of different coins in the same period show civil wars while use of no/ less gold shows less wealth.
The stars of the show are Theodoric’s medallion, Pope Paul II’s ducats, navicella of St. Peter and the Pontifical state’s silver Pastre. This is the largest Numinastic collections in Italy.
The entry/ exit point is the same for this section ….near the beginning of the vault. A linear entry would have been more in keeping with the theme of this nevertheless marvellous museum section.
Another section in the basement is full of antique jewellery, hair nets spun with gold, ivory dolls and a very interesting mummy. This is a preserved mummy room that’s totally devoted to the richly decorated Sarcophagus that was found in 1964 on via Cassia, is a must visit. The mummy is of a little girl…it is called the Girl of Grottarossa and she is poignantly shown clutching her doll in her hand.
There are many artefacts decked up in amber and pieces of exotic jewellery on display here.
Ground Floor
The Ground floor demonstrates the evolution of the art of making portraits as it was in the late Republican era to the beginning of the Catholic empire. Notice the progression of portraits of famous people from the family of Augustus to the statue of the emperor posing as Pope Maximus. The Augustus bust has the king pull his Toga over his head like a holy shawl ….an indication that he has taken on the function of a priest. The altar of Ostia Antica is also a remarkable exhibit….it shows great similarity to the 15th century frescos of nativity.
There are many original Greek works here that were imported from Rome and one of the most remarkable of these is the Niobide from Horti Sallustiani. A beautiful Niobid is shown collapsing as Apollo’s arrow pierces her from her back.
Most people who visit the Massimo Palazzo know about its principal attraction; the glorious bronze statue of the Boxer at rest. Ever since the statue was unearthed on the quirinal hill of Rome in 1885 near the Constantine baths, the statue has been travelling all over the world including New York’s Metropolitan museum where it was displayed for a long time. The permanent address of this boxer is the Palazzo Massimo and if you are lucky enough to catch him here notice the fine attention to detail that has captivated the interest of curators. The boxer’s muscular body, semi naked form with only his boxing gloves, tense muscles, broken nose, and bloody cuts on his face are remarkable in their detailing. Many collectors call it one of the best statues of the world…
First Floor
The first floor takes forward the portrait theme, and the imperial image representation from late Flavian times to late antique period is shown here. Look out for fabulous Greek style statues (all Roman copies of Greek work by the way) like Discobolo Lancellotti (discus thrower), sleeping hermaphrodite, crouched Aphrodite etc. the Portonaccio Sarcophagus featuring a violent battle scene between the 2nd AD Barbarians and the Romans is another grand exhibit. The bronze statues and fittings that once decked the ships that wrecked on the lake Nemi also stand here. Apparently these ships were used by Rome’s mad king ‘Caligula’ as floating palaces.
Second Floor
Undoubtedly the most exquisite section of the museum…The rooms of Augustus’s Villa Liia (prima porta) and Villa della Farnesina are represented in all their original glory and grandeur on this floor. Don’t confuse the Villa della Farnesina exhibits with the Villa Farnesina. The former was excavated in remarkable condition near the Villa Farnesina in Trastevere neighbourhood on the banks of Tiber in 1870’s as the river embankments were constructed. It is said that the Villa dates back to 30 BC and it was built for General Agrippa and Emperor Augustus’s daughter marriage. The frescoes extracted from this palace were under restoration for 119 years till the museum reopened.
This floor is dedicated to mosaics, stucco work and frescoes that used to adorn the prestigious Roman residences. Fine floor mosaics and lovely inlay work all give visitors an Idea of how the opulent Romans in the 13th and 14th century used to live.
The indoor decoration style of the rich and the famous in Roman society from first century BC to 4th century AD is the focus of the museum. A marble inlay work representing Apollo is one of the highlights of this floor. The summer triclinium from Livia’s villa is the first and one of the most extraordinary exhibits. Look out for the frescoes that show a magnificent garden with blooms and pomegranate trees…
The viridarium with its 4 walls decorated to create an impression that it’s surrounded by gardens on all sides is a beautiful exhibit. It’s said that this was the winter dining room and the royalty dining inside would have felt that spring was still there….a big similarity with the Villa Farnesina. The roses, pomegranate, camomile and irises are so vivid that you almost feel like touching them. Note that the cubicula (bedroom) frescoes focus on domestic life, erotica and mythology while the living room frescoes show magnificent landscapes.
The mosaic scenes here are extraordinary and one of the best is ‘four charioteers’ with their glamorous horses in the traditional colours red, blue, green and white. Also look out for the opus sectile marble inlaid scenes from the Giunio Basso Basilica.
Location & Hours
The proximity to Termini station ensures that conveyance is never a problem.
Address: Largo di Villa Peretti (where Piazza del Cinquecento that is the giant square outside Termini joins Via Viminale). Phone. +39-06-480-201.
Palazzo Massimo is open Tuesday – Sunday: 9am – 7:45pm. Monday: closed.
For ticketing information, refer to National Roman Museum.
The Esquilino neighbourhood stands on one of Rome’s famed seven hills and is proud of the fact that its Rome’s oldest neighbourhood. Vendors, street artists, kids playing games and quaint cafes mark this area and you will like wandering around the secret alleys that startlingly lead up to large piazzas. The Santa Maria Maggiore stands nearby and so does the Piazza della Repubblica and the Fontana delle Naiadi. Its logical to combine a visit to the Massimo alle Terme with the nearby Diocletian Baths; another branch of the Roman museum.
Note:
The Massimo Palazzo houses the most important collections of the National Roman Museum in terms of aesthetic and richness and especially its frescoes and numinastic collection are worth a thorough visit. You will need around 3 hours to see this museum properly. The best thing about Palazzo Massimo is that unlike most Roman ancient art museums, this one is much updated. With sophisticated lighting systems, placards written in English and a good sense of organisation with attention to detail. The fact that the Palazzo itself is very beautiful adds to the charms of this museum. The only downside is that the museum offers tours but only in Italian. The audio guide (5 euros) will however be helpful in creating a better understanding of the museum.
A travel addict. Still celebrating the day when he quit his high-profile corporate job to pursue his passion for travel writing.