 Introduzione
Climbing Michelangelo's long, sloping steps makes for a dramatic approach. At the top is a perfectly proportioned square, Piazza del Campidoglio. One side of the piazza is open; the others are bounded by the Senatorium (Town Council), the Capitoline Museum and the statuary-filled Palace of the Conservatori (Curators). The Palace was based on a Michelangelo architectural plan and is rich in classical sculpture and paintings.
 History
Of Rome's seven hills, the Capitoline (Campidoglio) is the most sacred its origins stretch way back into antiquity (an Etruscan temple to Jupiter once stood on this spot). The Palazzo dei Conservatori, was built by Giacomo della Porta in 1564-75 to the design of Michelangelo.
 Location
Address:Piazza del Campidoglio, I-00186 Rome, Italy.
Transit: Metro: Colosseo (line B); Bus: 57, 85, 87, 88, 90, 90b, 92, 94, 95, 716, 718, 719.
 What's to see
The highly rational building uses the gigantic Corinthian order, which ties together the two stories. Interposed within the colossal Corinthian pilasters are smaller Ionic columms on each side of the loggia openings and on each side of the second story windows. The whole is crowned with a balustrade with statues accenting the upward thrust of the pilasters. The flat roof and straight entablature (rather than the use of arches) is characteristic of Michelangelo's architecture.
The collections here are ancient sculpture, mostly Roman but also Greek and Egyptian. One of the most notable bronzes, a Greek work of incomparable beauty dating from the 1st century B.C., is Lo Spinario (a little boy picking a thorn from his foot). In addition, you'll find Lupa Capitolina (Capitoline Wolf), a rare Etruscan bronze that could date from the 5th century B.C. (Romulus and Remus, the legendary twins who were suckled by the wolf, were added at a later date. The second floor of the building is occupied by the Conservator's Apartment, a space now open to the public. The Conservator's Apartment is distinguished by elaborate interior decorations, including frescoes, stuccos, tapestries, and carved ceilings and doors.
The third floor of the Palazzo dei Conservatori houses the Capitoline Art Gallery, housing the museums' painting and applied art galleries. It contains mostly works from the 16th and 17th centuries. Notable canvases are Caravaggio's Fortune-Teller and his curious John the Baptist; The Holy Family, by Dosso Dossi; Romulus and Remus, by Rubens; and Titian's Baptism of Christ. The Capitoline Coin Cabinet, containing collections of coins, medals, jewels, and jewelry, is located in the attached Palazzo Caffarelli-Clementino.
The entrance courtyard is lined with the remains (head, hands, a foot, and a kneecap) of an ancient colossal statue of Constantine the Great. At the southwest corner of the Palazzo dei Conservatori is the Tarpeian Rock (Rupe Tarpea) from which, in Roman times, condemned prisoners were hurled to their death.
 Useful information
Telephone: 06-67102071
Open: Monday to Friday 9:00am to 1:30pm
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