Explore ancient ruins and artifacts at the Palatine Museum in Rome

Unearthed on Palatine Hill itself, these early artifacts reveal the hill’s importance long before emperors ruled from it.

• Paleolithic-era tools and ceramics dating back over 200,000 years
  
• Iron Age burial objects from 10th–8th century BCE tombs
  
• Foundations of early huts traditionally linked to Romulus, Rome’s legendary founder

📍 These finds mark Palatine Hill as the earliest known settlement site in the city.

The museum showcases the artistic splendor of ancient Rome, recovered directly from palaces and temples nearby.

• Marble busts of key figures like Augustus and Livia
  
• Fragments of imperial frescoes once decorating lavish rooms
  
• Decorative mosaics featuring mythological scenes and geometric designs

🗨️ “Many of the museum’s sculptures were discovered just meters away, buried in the remains of imperial residences.”

Not everything inside the museum belonged to emperors—many items give insight into the daily routines of ancient Romans.

• Kitchen tools, oil lamps, and amphorae used in homes across centuries
  
• Religious figurines and ritual items from shrines and domestic altars
  
• Household pottery and utensils from the 1st to 4th centuries AD

🎯 These objects show how Romans cooked, worshipped, and decorated their homes.

Beyond the museum walls, some of ancient Rome’s most iconic structures still stand nearby—and many are open to visitors.

• House of Augustus – with restored frescoes from Rome’s first emperor
  
• House of Livia – featuring remarkably preserved wall paintings
  
• Stadium of Domitian – a private imperial garden resembling a racetrack

📌 Visiting these ruins gives direct context to many of the items on display inside.

Tracing prehistoric Rome

Located on the ground floor, the first three rooms focus on the earliest human presence on the Palatine Hill.

• Discover stone tools and objects from the Middle to Upper Paleolithic eras, marking the beginnings of human life in the region.
  
• See the remains of primitive huts from the 8th century BC, believed to be among the first dwellings on the hill.
  
• Explore locally-made vases, impasto utensils, and even an infant tomb from the 7th century BC.
  
• Artifacts from the Republican era reveal early developments in civic and domestic life.

Religion and rituals in the Archaic era

This room brings together artifacts from the Archaic and early Republican periods, with a focus on religion and architecture.

• View a mysterious altar from the Sulla period, dedicated anonymously “to a god or goddess”—a common strategy used to confuse enemies during wartime.
  
• Admire vibrant antefixes (decorative roof ornaments) in polychrome terracotta, representing deities like Jupiter, Apollo, and Juno Sospita.

The age of Augustus

Step into the Imperial period with artworks from the time of Emperor Augustus.

• Highlights include a refined statue of Hermes, inspired by Greek masters Lysippus and Polykleitos.
  
• Don’t miss the bronze statue of a victorious athlete, believed to be commissioned by Octavian after the Battle of Actium.
  
• The room also displays bas-relief plaques, terracotta antefixes, and a rare fresco of Apollo, unearthed in 1950, depicting the god enthroned with a radiant crown.

Nero’s artistic legacy

The room showcases artifacts in Opus Sectile, a decorative technique using cut stone inlay.

• All pieces here were recovered from Domus Transitoria, Emperor Nero’s first palace, which was destroyed in the Great Fire of 64 AD.
  
• These vibrant floor and wall panels reflect the opulence of Nero’s early reign and the stylistic transition to Domus Flavia.

The faces of empire

The final two main exhibit rooms cover the period from the Julius-Claudians to the Tetrarchy.

• Marvel at lifelike portraits of Roman emperors, including Nero, Agrippina Minor, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Antoninus Pius.
  
• One of the most intriguing pieces is the Alexamenos graffito: a 3rd-century satirical sketch depicting a crucified figure with a donkey's head. The nearby inscription reads: “Alexamenos venerates God”—a rare and controversial early reference to Christianity in pagan Rome.

The Gallery of Greek

End your visit in the Gallery, a long tunnel that houses Roman copies of classical Greek statues, all sourced from the imperial palaces of the Palatine. These reproductions reflect the Roman elite’s admiration for Greek artistry and taste.