An Art Lover’s Guide to Rome

Among the most famous collections on the planet, the Vatican Museums hold spectacular works of Italian Renaissance art, plus in situ stunners like the frescoes in the Raphael Rooms and Sistine Chapel. Though the bulk of the collection focuses on Italian painting art and sculpture, the museum complex is also home to ancient Egyptian, Etruscan, and Roman artworks. Because of its vast size and scope, the museums are best visited with a guide so you can cover the headliners in a few hours.

Check out works by international and Italian contemporary artists within the confines of one of Rome’s few 21st-century landmark buildings at MAXXI, the city’s premier contemporary art museum. Set in a gallery space designed by the award-winning architect Zaha Hadid, this collection is a vital part of the Rome art scene with its permanent collection and rotating temporary international and Italian art exhibitions; the building itself is often a highlight of Rome architecture tours.

Despite its name, this prestigious gallery does not hold ancient Roman art but instead one of Europe’s most important collections of art dating between the 13th and 17th centuries. Wander the sumptuous halls of Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini—the museum’s two historic locations—to admire works by Caravaggio, Raphael, and other A-listers in relative peace at this often overlooked treasure trove.

Step away from the iconic monuments and explore outlying Rome art districts with street art in Rome tour focusing on residential neighborhoods like Ostiense and Pigneto. Take in works by established and emerging artists in Rome that decorate building facades, storefronts, and road signs and delve into the political and social commentary that inspires many of these pieces for a new perspective on modern Italy and its capital city.

Set in the lush Villa Borghese gardens, the Borghese Gallery is one of the top art galleries in Rome. Its compact group of paintings and sculptures offers an overview of Rome’s art history, beginning with Roman sculpture art dating from ancient times through Bernini’s famed baroque statues in the main “Salone” hall. Many Borghese Gallery tours include a stroll through the surrounding Villa Borghese, a 17th-century private garden that is now one of Rome’s largest public parks.

Once the workshop of the 18th-century Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova, the Museo Atelier Canova Tadolini today houses a restaurant where diners can enjoy a meal or snack surrounded by original statues and plaster casts by the artist and his students. Break up your day of sightseeing with a quick espresso or leisurely meal in the art-stuffed dining room here, one of the most unique things to do in Rome for art lovers.

Opened to the public in 1734, the massive Capitoline Museums fill three Renaissance palaces on the Capitoline Hill and are an important stop on Rome art tours. The museums were established by Pope Sixtus IV in the 15th century, and house spectacular ancient and Renaissance works. The most important Rome art events are often held here, including temporary art exhibitions and retrospectives, but most guided tours focus on highlights like the “Capitoline Wolf” (a bronze depiction of Romulus and Remus suckling a she-wolf) and masterpieces by Caravaggio, Titian, and Guercino.

Futurist artist Giacomo Balla transformed his family’s apartment into a three-dimensional showcase over three decades in the early 20th century; today this former private residence has been opened to small group tours offered by the MAXXI Museum. Get a taste of modern art in Rome in this early immersive masterpiece that includes painted walls and ceilings, custom furniture and decorations, and even bespoke tableware alongside original paintings and sketches.

Rome is home to hundreds of art-filled chapels, so no art lover’s visit is complete without a stop inside at least one to savor its treasures. Just steps away from one of the busiest squares in the city, the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi quietly houses three of the city’s most stunning Caravaggio paintings: The Calling of Saint Matthew (Vocazione di San Matteo), The Inspiration of Saint Matthew (San Matteo e Angelo), and Martyrdom of Saint Matthew (Martirio di San Matteo). Commissioned by the Medici family, these are among the few Caravaggio paintings that can still be admired in their original location.