Rome’s Hidden Museums with Context Travel

In the center of Rome alone there are over 100 museums.  They range from the most visited (Vatican Museums ) to the oldest (Capitoline Museums ) to another that many people consider has one of the most exceptional collections of art under one roof. ( Galleria Borghese )

While these museums are definitely worthwhile to visit, the last time I visited the Vatican Museums in 1995 I was so overwhelmed by the hot, sticky crush of humanity that all these years later I’m still in shock over it and have never gone back. Granted, I should probably give it another try, but for now, I’ve got other fish to fry.

There’s something I like about those places that are off the radar and that are not so well known and less well known means less people which is a huge plus for me.  Context Travel’s tours in the public interest offers the perfect opportunity to explore those unnoticed gems in Rome and they started their season with a “Hidden Museums” series.  The series features tours of four museums that are often overlooked and yet full of important and interesting works of art, free of the masses and yet in an easily doable and digestible 1.5 hours.

Their first featured museum was the Centrale Montemartini.  “Gods & Machines” was the perfect title of the first exhibit that took place here at this former power plant turned museum space when it was restored back in the 90’s. Many ancient Roman sculptures from the Capitoline Museums found a home here.

The pieces here are beautiful and the contrast between the industrial and the classical in this art nouveau style building is striking.  There were only a handful of other visitors when we were there and yet so surprising considering what an exceptional and very unusual space it is.

The second tour was of the Museo di Roma in the Palazzo Braschi (the first photo in this post is of the grand staircase).  Palazzo Braschi looks out onto Piazza Navona and was the last papal building in Rome constructed in the late 1700’s and giving it the nickname “the last miracle of St. Peter.”  The museum is full of very detailed paintings of a Rome long since gone and it was fun trying to guess which part of Rome we were looking at before reading the title of the painting.  An unusual touch is the classical music played in the grand staircase leading up to the different floors.

Context’s next Hidden Museums tours will be of Palazzo Venezia in Piazza Venezia on 27 May and the Museum of the Middle Ages in the EUR neighborhood on 24 June.  Tours must be booked on-line and are only €5.  Tours start at 5pm and last 90 minutes.