Palazzo Altemps
Palace Renaissance palace housing classical sculpture collection
Close to Piazza Navona, Palazzo Altemps displays classical sculpture and Roman portraits in Renaissance rooms; visitors view well‑known marbles and temporary archaeological exhibitions.
Palazzo Altemps is a Renaissance palace in central Rome that now forms one of the venues of the National Roman Museum, specialising in Greek and Roman sculpture from private collections. The building contains galleries that display statuary, reliefs and funerary monuments collected by noble families.
Collections include large-scale marble statues and portrait busts that were assembled during the Renaissance and later centuries, with installations arranged to reflect original private display. The palace itself is part of the museum experience, with historic rooms and a courtyard integrated into the exhibition route.
The palace dates to the 15th and 16th centuries and was remodeled and embellished by successive owners; its conversion to museum galleries followed 19th and 20th-century efforts to centralise Rome’s classical collections. The building preserves Renaissance architecture alongside the ancient works on show.
Located close to Piazza Navona in Rome’s historic centre, Palazzo Altemps is within easy walking distance of many central landmarks and public transport.
- Visit tip: Part of Rome's network of antiquities museums; combine with nearby sites such as Piazza Navona and the Roman Forum for a full day of classical art.
What to See #
- Palace building: Renaissance palace structure dating to the 15th-16th centuries that houses galleries and exhibition rooms displaying classical sculpture.
- Sculpture galleries: Principal sculpture galleries arranged across multiple rooms presenting Greek and Roman statues from private Renaissance collections.
Tips for Visiting Palazzo Altemps #
- Go early or late in the day to avoid the midday rush around Piazza Navona; Palazzo Altemps' rooms feel much quieter outside peak visiting hours.
- Use the entrance on Piazza di Sant'Apollinare and follow the sequence of galleries upward-the upper rooms and the courtyard sculpture displays are easy to miss when people linger only in the ground-floor halls.
- Take time with the portrait sculpture rooms and the small chapels inside the palace-these intimate spaces are less crowded than the main halls but contain important pieces.
Best Time to Visit Palazzo Altemps #
For Palazzo Altemps, plan weekday visits in shoulder seasons to avoid the busiest times.
Weather & Climate near Palazzo Altemps #
Palazzo Altemps's climate is classified as Hot-Summer Mediterranean - Hot-Summer Mediterranean climate with warm summers (peaking in August) and cold winters (coldest in January). Temperatures range from 4°C to 30°C. Moderate rainfall (692 mm/year).
January
January is the coolest month with highs of 12°C and lows of 4°C. Moderate rainfall (71 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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February
February is cold with highs of 13°C and lows of 4°C. Moderate rainfall (66 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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March
March is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 6°C. Moderate rainfall (58 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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April
April is cool with highs of 18°C and lows of 8°C. Moderate rainfall (57 mm) and partly cloudy skies.
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May
May is cool with highs of 23°C and lows of 12°C. Moderate rainfall (40 mm).
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June
June is mild with highs of 27°C and lows of 16°C. Light rainfall and mostly sunny skies.
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July
July is warm with highs of 30°C and lows of 19°C. The driest month with just 14 mm and clear sunny skies.
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August
August is the warmest month with highs of 30°C and lows of 19°C. Moderate rainfall (32 mm) and clear sunny skies.
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September
September is mild with highs of 26°C and lows of 16°C. Moderate rainfall (63 mm) and mostly sunny skies.
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October
October is cool with highs of 22°C and lows of 12°C. Regular rainfall (87 mm).
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November
November is cool with highs of 16°C and lows of 8°C. The wettest month with 94 mm of rain and partly cloudy skies.
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December
December is cold with highs of 13°C and lows of 5°C. Regular rainfall (81 mm) and partly cloudy skies.