MUSEO NAZIONALE ROMANO - PALAZZO ALTEMPS
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A remarkable Roman palace preserving one of the most important collections of ancient sculptures of the 17th century.
This palace is one of the most important examples of Renaissance architecture in Rome. Begun by Girolamo Riario in 1477, it was built on the site of ancient marble workshops and, possibly, a temple dedicated to Apollo. Palazzo Altemps houses the most important 17th-century collections of antique sculptures: the Boncompagni Ludovisi, Mattei and Altemps collections. Among the masterpieces on display is the Ludovisi Throne, a sublime 5th-century B.C. bas-relief depicting Venus emerging from her bath, assisted by two maids; the incredible rendering of the finely chiselled drapery makes this an extremely rare work for its time. Equally moving is the group depicting Orestes and Electra embracing before parting ways. In the salon des fêtes, you can admire the tragic statue of the Galate Suicide, which formed an ensemble with the statue of the Dying Galate, now in the Capitoline Museum. You can also visit the palace's private chapel, dedicated to Saint Anicetto. Dating from 1603, it is one of the most beautiful in Rome, with an extraordinary wealth of relics, including the remains of Sant'Aniceto, one of the first popes.
Palazzo Altemps is home to one of the four museums that make up the Roman National Museum. The combined ticket gives access to the other Museo nazionale Romano sites: Cripta Balbi, Palazzo Massimo alle Terme and Terme di Diocleziano.
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Members' reviews on MUSEO NAZIONALE ROMANO - PALAZZO ALTEMPS
Entre les superbes collections et la beauté du Palazzo lui-même.
on fait une visite très agréable.
Au-delà de la qualité des oeuvres qui sont présentées, l'intérêt majeur de ce musée réside dans ses choix de muséographie. Des cartels nous indiquent pour chaque sculpture présentée les parties restaurées et proposent des datations pour ces reprises. C'est juste une superbe idée qui permet de mieux se rendre compte de la façon dont notre vision de l'antiquité est biaisée parfois.