Palazzo Altemps
Palazzo Altemps
Palazzo Altemps
AN ANCIENT OASIS IN THE HEART OF ROME
The Palazzo Altemps dates from the 15th century. Today it houses a wonderful collection of ancient Greek and Roman sculptures and an Egyptian collection.
My Rating:
The positives:
Architecturally, the Palazzo Altemps is a little oasis. The collection is also very good...
The negatives:
... but not as unique as that of the Palazzo Massimo.
Tip:
The combination ticket for the four museums of the Museo Nazionale Romano is available again! With an extra multimedia video!
Last Modified: 14.01.2025 | Céline
Palazzo Altemps
Tickets
Notice:
We do not recommend this ticket. It is overpriced.
On the official website (EN/IT only) you can buy this pass for the three museums for EUR 16.
If you only want to see the Palazzo Altemps, you can also buy a single ticket for EUR 8.
When exhibitions are taking place, an additional EUR 3-5 is charged on these tickets.
Your Céline
The details
at a glance
Prices
EUR 8 for adults (without exhibition)
EUR 2 reduced ticket (for young people aged 18 -25, from European Union)
Free admission for children under the age of 18
+ EUR 5 for Exhibitions
EUR 16 for all 4 Museums of the Museo Nazionale Romano
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Roma Pass
The Palazzo Altemps is on the list of museums and sights you can visit with the Roma Pass.
The Roma Pass is valid for 48 or 72 hours.
-> Find out more about the Roma Pass
The Roma Pass is also included with the 72-hour Omnia Card.
-> Find out more about the Omnia Card
Palazzo Altemps
Photo Gallery
What is there
to see?
In Palazzo Altemps, you can discover numerous sculptures from Greek and Roman antiquity. However, they are presented within a unique context, as this collection was curated from various family estates of Roman noble families.
Upon entering, you’ll be greeted by a beautiful courtyard featuring four sculptures from the collection of Cardinal Markus Sitticus. Here, you’ll already feel like you’re in a small and serene art oasis. On the ground floor, you’ll encounter the Ciriaco Matteis collection, comprising various sculptures of gods that once adorned his garden. While their presentation may appear somewhat “austere,” nothing detracts from the impact of figures like the powerful Athena or the exquisite Aphrodite. What’s fascinating about these sculptures is that they were restored at the time, with missing limbs (visibly added) to enhance both the aesthetics and the “dignity” of the figures, as desired by their owners.
On the ground floor, you’ll also find a collection of smaller artifacts such as vases, everyday objects, and fragments. Moving to the first floor, you’ll encounter significantly more ornate interiors, which once served as living quarters. Be sure to visit the Gallery, where portraits of Roman emperors are displayed. Don’t forget to marvel at the exquisite ceiling!
Throughout the various chambers on this floor, you’ll encounter more mythical figures and legends, including the story of the “Gaul” – the Galatian Suicide from the Ludovisi-Boncompagni collection.
Additionally, on the first floor, you’ll find the Egyptian collection, which was unearthed in 2009 during excavations on Via Marmorata.
THE GALATIAN
SUICIDE
The sculpture group is also known as “Gaul Killing Himself and His Wife.” It originates from the Ludovisi Collection, a Roman noble family that discovered the sculpture on their property, which was likely once part of the garden of Sallust, the Roman historian. Therefore, it is a Roman copy from the 2nd century AD, tracing its origins back to a Greek bronze from 230-220 BC. It was probably commissioned by the Greek ruler Attalus I, who defeated the Galatians.
One must truly examine the sculpture group from all angles to fully appreciate all the details!
In the sculpture, we see a Gaul who is thrusting a sword into his chest. He gazes backward, but also holds his dying wife in his left arm.
So, the man holds his dying wife while taking his own life. This raises two questions:
- Did he also kill his wife?
- Why is he killing himself (and his wife)?
The obvious assumption is that he is protecting himself and his wife from Greek attackers, wanting to spare them a fate worse than death. Therefore, he first kills his wife, looks back to assess where the attackers are, and then takes his life.
In Rome, there is another sculpture depicting a Gaul. It can be found in the Capitoline Museums. However, here you only see the Gaul lying on the ground, known as the “Dying Gaul”. His sword lies beside him. But instead of dying from a wound to the neck, he has a wound at chest level. Additionally, he has a rope around his neck…
Have the attackers reached and killed him before he could do it himself? Or in this sculpture, did he not place the sword at his neck but aimed it at his chest?
A striking, similar detail – as I have to say with a smile – is the wonderful mustache 😉 Not Hellenistic, but probably Galatian fashion of this time…
Palazzo Altemps
A bit of History
The Palazzo Altemps dates back to the 15th century – this is evidenced by the wooden ceilings on the first floor and the ceiling paintings in the Galleria.
The German Cardinal Markus Sitticus III. von Hohenems acquired the building in 1568 and was the first to present his sculpture collection here. After that, the palace had different owners. It was used primarily as a residence for diplomats until the French lieutenant Jules Hardouin purchased the palace for his wife Lucrezia Altemps in the 19th century. Therefore, the name.
In 1982, the Ministry of Cultural Heritage of Italy was able to acquire the palace and opened one of the sub-museums of the Museo Nazionale Romano here in 1997.
During the restoration of the palace, old Roman foundation stones were uncovered: this is why you can also see parts of a Roman “domus” (house) on the ground floor.
Official website of Palazzo Altemps (EN): museonazionaleromano.beniculturali.it/en/
Text and image rights: © Céline Mülich, 2016 – 2025
