The Palazzo Altemps is the seat of one of the four Roman Museums that make up the Museo Nazionale Romano. It is located near the Piazza Navona in the center of the Eternal City. The museum is dedicated to the history of collectionism, with an emphasis on classical sculpture.
A brief history of the Palazzo Altemps in Rome
Like many Roman museums, the Palazzo Altemps used to be the residence of wealthy aristocratic families and popes (who usually belonged to those same families anyway).
The Palazzo Altemps has a lot of classical art to admire in particular, including the famous Ludovisi collection of Greek and Roman sculpture. All of this is set against a backdrop of 15th and 16th century frescoes.
The Palazzo Altemps was built in 1477 by the Duke of Imola, Girolamo Riario (a grandson of Pope Sixtus IV). Previously, there used to be medieval constructions, including small houses, towers and gardens on this site. The towers were probably part of a fortress to protecting the Tiber.
The architects were Melozzo da Forlì and Luca Pacioli.
The palazzo was sold to Cardinal Francesco Soderini in 1511. After Soderini‘s death (1524), it passed to Cardinal Innocenzo Cybo. The Cardinal had several renovations carried out by Baldassare Peruzzi, and others.
The next owner was Cardinal Marco Sittico Altemps (a son of the German Count Wolfgang Hohenems and the sister of Pope Pius IV, Chiara Medici). He bought the building in 1568 and also had, by Martino Longhi il Vecchio, several changes made, including the Belvedere on the Piazza Sant’Apollinare side. (The goat placed on the dome is the symbol of the Altemps family.)
Artists participating in the renovations included Giacomo Della Porta, Flaminio Ponzio, Tommaso Schiratti, Girolamo Rainaldi and Onorio Longhi.
At the beginning of the 17th century, Duke Giovanni Angelo Altemps had the Sant’Aniceto Chapel, the Teatro Goldoni and the library built. The Cappella di Sant’Aniceto held the relics of the martyr and Pope Aniceto, which had been taken from the Catacombs of San Callisto in 1603. This made Sant’Aniceto the only pope to be buried in a private residence. The chapel is decorated by works by Pomarancio and Ottavio Leoni, among others.
In 1887, the Palazzo Altemps became the property of the Holy See and seat of the Pontificio Collegio Spagnolo.
In 1982, the Italian State acquired the building and turned it into one of the seats of the Museo Nazionale Romano. Several collections (Altemps, Ludovisi, Mattei and Del Drago Albani) were merged for this purpose. After an extensive restoration, the museum was opened to the public in 1997.
What to see in the Palazzo Altemps
Courtyard
The museum is arranged on two floors, around a beautiful central courtyard. The short sides of this courtyard consist of a portico with a loggia. Both porticoes are lined with classical sculptures. The courtyard’s main decoration is a colorful fountain inside a niche. It is decorated with shells, mosaics, glass paste and gravel. The Altemps coat of arms (an ibex) tops the fountain. The mosaics on both sides of the ibex depict a bridge being struck by lightning. The bottom part is graced with a small sarcophagus with 6 cupids. The fountain is flanked by two bearded herms.
Loggia of the Garden of Delights
The Loggia del Giardino delle Delizie looks out over the courtyard. The walls and ceiling of the loggia are painted with frescoes depicting plants and animals from the New World. The frescoes, by unknown painters, were created around 1595.
Boncompagni Ludovisi Collection
The antique marble sculptures collected by Cardinal Ludovico Ludovisi were originally kept in his villa on the Quirinal hill. The 450 sculptures were restored by such famous artists as Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Alessandro Algardi and Ippolito Buzzi. Toward the end of the 19th century, the villa was demolished to create the new Ludovisi district. Many works of art disappeared but 104 sculptures were saved and placed in the Palazzo Altemps.
The most famous works are the Trono Ludovisi, excavated in the district itself, “Ares with the head of Juno”, the “Crouching Aphrodite” and the “Galata sculpture group”.
Crouching Aphrodite with Dolphin
Aphrodite is depicted naked and croaching. Eros is lifting a towel to dry her off. The dolphin symbolizes Aphrodite’s birth from the sea. The work, a Roman copy of a bronze original by the sculptor Doidalsas, was commissioned in the 3rd century BCE by King Nicomedes of Bithynia in Asia Minor and it is also known from depictions on Roman coins issued in the same area. Aphrodite’s head, right forearm and hand, part of her left hand and right foot have been added by modern era restorers. Also added is Eros’ head and part of the dolphin. The original marble came from the island of Thasos.
The Altemps Collection
Cardinal Marco Sittico Altemps‘ collection consisted of about 150 Greek and Roman sculptures. 4 of the 15 surviving works can be seen under the south portico.
The Mattei Collection
The Mattei Collection is exhibited under the courtyard portico and in the rooms on the second floor. The works of art come were salvaged from the Villa Celimontana. Previously they were exhibited in the seat at the Terme di Diocleziane.
Del Drago Collection
The Del Drago Collection dates back to the 17th century and used to grace the Palazzo del Drago in Via Quattro Fontane.
Egyptian Art
The Museo Nazionale Romano‘s collection of Egyptian art is also on display at the Palazzo Altemps. Highlights include the objects found at the sanctuary dedicated to Isis and Serapis that used to be located near the Pantheon. Also on display here are the finds from the excavation at the Syrian sanctuary in the Janiculum.
Useful information (2025)
The address of the Palazzo Altemps is Piazza Sant’Apollinare, 46 – Rome (tel. +39 06 684851 – box office +39 06 6872719). Bus: 70, 81, 87, 130F, 492, 628, N6, N7. Opening hours and entrance fee: Tuesday to thursday from 09:30 till 19:00. Last entrance is at 18:00. Closed: Mondays, January 1, May 1, December 25. Entrance fee: 12 Euro. EU residents between 18 and 25 years old: 3.50 Euro. Free of charge: Young people over 18. The ticket entitles you to visit the four seats of the Museo Nazionale Romano. It is valid for three days. In case of special exhibitions, there may be a surcharge. On the first Sunday of the month, the Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Altemps is free. Museum cards: Roma Pass. Handicapped access: The museum is fully accessible. Wheelchairs are available upon request. There is a handicapped entrance at Via di Sant’Apollinare, 8.
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