When after a long ascent you finally arrive at Piazza del Campidoglio, times escapes you, and all of a sudden you realise you are in the very heart of history; a really amazing place, trust me, redolent of a glorious past and with a magnificent view over Saint Peter Cathedral which back in the old days was the symbol of the Pope‘s power.
But today we want to talk about the famous Musei Capitolini which are located on this important piazza.
The Capitoline museums are a treasure trove of unique works of art such as Galata morente or The Dying Gaul, a beautiful statue depicting a dying Celt with remarkable realism, particularly in the face.
It was so beautiful that Napoleon decided to send it to Paris where it was displayed with other Italian works of art in the Louvre Museum until 1816, when it was returned to Rome.
The Musei Capitolini were commissioned by Pius VI in the 15th century and it was always Pius VI who presented the museums with a series of masterpieces such as the famous she-wolf statue (known as Lupa); according to the Roman myth, it was a wolf that nursed Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.