Museo di Roma at Palazzo Braschi: the city's history on Piazza Navona

Updated on October 5, 2026

The Museo di Roma occupies Palazzo Braschi, on Piazza San Pantaleo, beside Piazza Navona. The last great palace built in Rome for a pope's family, it houses the municipal collection devoted to the city from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century: paintings, views of Rome, portraits, drawings, prints, photographs, costumes and furniture. People come to understand papal Rome and everyday life, and to climb the palace's monumental staircase. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm; the ticket costs €11 (prices checked in October 2026). Allow an hour and a half to two hours.

Highlights

The palace

Built between 1790 and 1802 for Luigi Braschi Onesti, nephew of Pope Pius VI, to a design by Cosimo Morelli, the palace is the last great building erected in Rome for a pope's family. Its neoclassical façade faces Piazza San Pantaleo; at the corner of the palace stands the statue of Pasquino, the "talking statue" on which Romans have pasted satirical verses since the 16th century.

The monumental staircase

The grand marble and stucco staircase, adorned with columns, reliefs and coffered vaults, is the palace's most spectacular piece of architecture. You climb it before even starting the visit of the rooms.

The permanent collection

The rooms tell the story of Rome from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century: portraits of popes and nobles, religious scenes, views of the city before and after the great urban works, prints, drawings, early photographs, costumes and everyday objects.

Temporary exhibitions

The palace hosts large-scale exhibitions: the Keith Haring show is announced there from 6 October 2026 to 11 April 2027. The ticket and hours may differ during these exhibitions: check before you come.

Hours and prices

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm. Closed Monday, 1 May and 25 December. Full-price ticket €11 for the permanent collection; reduced €6.50 for non-residents aged 6 to 25. Free for residents of Rome and its metropolitan city (with ID), children under 6, people with disabilities and their companion, and MIC Card holders. Free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month.

Practical info

Tips

The Roma Pass is accepted; the MIC Card, at €5, opens the City of Rome museums for 12 months (prices checked in October 2026). The museum is calmer than the neighbouring square: it combines well with Palazzo Altemps, a few minutes' walk away, or with a visit to Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, and it is a good option in the rain. The rooms open vary with the exhibitions: check the official site of the City of Rome museums before you come.

How to get there

Piazza San Pantaleo 10, 00186 Rome, on the side of Piazza Navona. No metro station nearby: Spagna (line A) is about a 20-minute walk. Buses 40, 64 and 70, stops on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, a 3-minute walk.