Museums For A Dolce Vacation
Whatever part of Italy you're visiting, you should schedule some time in between your gelato eating and vespa riding to check out some of the best museums in the world. While Italy's museums are known for their art, specifically Renaissance art, there's a museum to fit every taste. Here are 20 from across the country.
1. Vatican Museums
Technically the Vatican Museums aren't "in Italy", but did you seriously expect us to exclude them? We recommend devoting an entire day to the Vatican Museums to best appreciate the art and papal treasures. Remember that there are no photographs permitted in the Sistine Chapel and that arms and knees must be covered as this is a religious space.
2. Borghese Gallery
Located in a beautiful Roman villa with lush gardens, the Borghese Gallery has one of the most prestigious art collections in the world. Unlike other museums on this list, the Borghese Gallery only allows pre-booked admission for two-hour visits, so make sure to use your time wisely! Don't miss some of Bernini's most astonishing sculpures.
3. Egyptian Museum
Italy may not be the first place your mind goes when you think of Italy, but Turin's Egyptian Museum is the oldest and largest outside of Egypt. Thanks to renovations in 2015, this museum is bigger and better than ever. Check statues, papyrus fragments and, yes, mummies.
4. MUSE Science Museum
While many of the museums on this list focus on art, there are a ton of non-art museums in Italy to enjoy. The MUSE Science Museum traces the history of life with help from fossils, dioramas, and interactive exhibits. This museum is located in Trento, in the far north of Italy.
5. Baths Of Diocletian
The Baths of Diocletian are just one of the four campuses that make up the National Roman Museum. While all four are worth visiting, we recommend the baths if you only have time for one. Sometimes, history is best understood in context, and the Baths of Diocletian let you do as the Romans did.
6. Royal Museums Of Turin
Turin was the first capital of Italy, and these museums pay homage to its past as well as the ruling Savoy family. In addition to the artistic galleries, this complex includes the apartments, library, and armory. Collection highlights include Botticelli's Venus and the Shroud of Turin.
7. Uffizi Gallery
The Uffizi Gallery is a must-do if you're going to Florence. The Uffizi Gallery hosts a treasure trove of art from Caravaggio as well as all four Ninja Turtles. While the collection can be overwhelming, you can book a guided tour of the highlights.
8. South Tyrol Archaeological Museum
Forget Egyptian mummies in Turin. If you want to see the oldest mummy in history, get thee to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, where you can meet Ötzi the Iceman. At more than 5000 years old, Ötzi and his Copper Age culture are lovingly preserved at this museum.
9. National Etruscan Museum
The enigmatic Etruscans were the ancestors of the Romans, who eventually absorbed them. One the Romans became the dominant power of the Italian Peninsula, they set about erasing all traces of those who came before them. The National Etruscan Museum in Rome pieces the story of the Etruscans back together.
10. Accademia Gallery
While Michelangelo's David is the most famous resident of the Academia Gallery, don't think that this museum is one-and-done. Michelangelo is in good company in this museum, which hosts work by Botticelli, Titian, and other names from art history 101. There's also a collection of instruments by the legendary Stradivarius.
11. National Museum Of The Palaeolithic
Molise is one of least-visited regions of Italy, which is a shame because it has the wonderful National Museum of the Palaeolithic in Isernia! Though small, this museum sits on a site almost 800,000 years old! Part of the museum is an active archaeological site, with new finds being uncovered every day.
12. Capitoline Museums
Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can get an overview of its history with this wonderful complex. Everything you could ever want to know about the Eternal City, from Romulus & Remus to its decline and fall, can be found within these hallowed halls. The Capitoline Museums are the oldest public museums in the world!
13. Peggy Guggenheim Museum
Peggy Guggenheim was one of the most important art collectors in history and saved countless modernist works from destruction during WWII. This Venetian villa houses highlights from her personal collection. A must-see for modern art lovers.
14. Abruzzo National Museum
The Abruzzo National Museum is one of the most unique offerings on this list. Not only is it housed in a former slaughterhouse (it's less gruesome than it sounds), but it has an eclectic collection. There's no need to choose between prehistoric skeletons and baroque art with this museum!
15. Galata Maritime Museum
This Genoese museum is called the most innovative maritime museum in the entire mediterranean, and we're inclined to agree. Five sprawling galleries explore the relationship between man and marine from ancient history to today. You can even walk around a Cold-War-era submarine.
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16. National Archaeological Museum
You should totally check out Herculaneum and Pompeii if given the chance. However, if poor weather and uneven terrain keep you inside, then the National Archaeological Museum in Naples is the next best thing. Not only does this museum include findings from Pompeii, it also has an excellent Egyptian collection.
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17. Brera Gallery
Moving onto Milan, the Brera Gallery has one of the best collections of Italian paintings in the world. The gallery includes work from the 13th century all the way of the 20th, so you can fully experience the way different movements developed. The complex also includes an observatory and botanical gardens.
18. Santa Maria Della Scala
Santa Maride della Scala may be Siena's best-kept secret. One of Europe's first hospitals catering to poor children and sick pilgrims, it opened as a museum in 1995. In addition to Medieval frescoes and religious relics, the complex itself, filled with basement labyrinths and ancient chapels, is a stunning example of High Medieval architecture.
19. Castel Sant'Angelo
Constructed as a mausoleum for an emperor, used as prison by the Papal State, and now a museum, the Castel Sant'Angelo has seen Rome through 2000 years of progress. The fortress of angels is one of the most haunting and beguiling locations in Rome. Located directly east of St. Peter's Basilica, it's impossible to miss.
20. Cenacolo Viniciano Museum
This museum focuses not just on a single artist, but a single artwork. Dedicated to Leonardo's Last Supper, this museum brings you face-to-face with a masterpiece for an experience you won't find anywhere else. The Cenacolo Viniciano Museum is located in Milan's city center.
