Capitoline Museums, Rome

The Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini) in Rome are considered the world's oldest public museum, established in 1471 when Pope Sixtus IV donated a group of bronze statues to the people of Rome. The collection is housed in two palaces flanking Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Michelangelo.

Holdings include ancient Roman sculpture, the iconic She-Wolf bronze (a symbol of Rome), the colossal head and hand of Constantine, and Baroque paintings by Caravaggio, Guercino, and Guido Reni. The Pinacoteca Capitolina occupies the Palazzo dei Conservatori, while the Palazzo Nuovo across the square displays classical marble statues. Together they document over 2,500 years of Roman history and art.