Palazzo dei Conservatori

The Palazzo dei Conservatori is part of the Capitoline Museums, located on the Capitoline Hill in Rome. This complex of art galleries was initially founded in 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV, who donated ancient statuary. The museum opened to the public in 1734 and occupies palaces framing the Piazza del Campidoglio, a square designed by Michelangelo.1

The Palazzo dei Conservatori, along with the Palazzo Nuovo, houses a significant collection of Roman art and artifacts. Notable works include the bronze she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome, as well as the Capitoline Venus and the Dying Gaul. The Palazzo dei Conservatori itself was part of Michelangelo's plan to redesign the Capitoline Hill, creating a new civic center. It is considered the oldest existing public collection in the world.12