Palazzo Massimo in Rome is a wonderful neo-Renaissance palace built between 1883 and 1887 according to the design of architect Camillo Pistrucci.

Also known as Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, it was originally a Jesuit college and maintained that purpose until 1960.

In 1981, Palazzo Massimo was acquired by the Italian State to become one of the locations of the National Roman Museum. The collections are distributed on the four floors of the building following a chronological and thematic criterion: the ground floor, the first and second floors are dedicated to the section of ancient art; the basement houses the sections of numismatics and jewelry. In the exhibition on the ground floor, you can follow the evolution of Roman portraiture from the late Republican era to the early Empire, including the portraits of Augustus' family and the statue of the emperor as Pontifex Maximus.

Among the original Greek works imported to Rome, stand out the Niobid from the Horti Sallustiani and the bronze statue of the Boxer. The theme of portraiture continues on the first floor, where the development of the imperial image from the Flavian age to the late ancient period is illustrated. Ample space is dedicated to ideal sculpture depicting gods and other mythological characters. Among the masterpieces of statuary that adorned the imperial residences are the Anzio Maiden and the Roman copies of famous Greek works: the Lancellotti Discobolus, the Crouching Aphrodite, and the Sleeping Hermaphroditus. Remarkable are the bronze sculptures that decorated the Ships of Nemi and the Portonaccio sarcophagus.

On the second floor, frescoes, stuccoes, and mosaics document the decoration of prestigious Roman residences. An evocative display recreates the environments of the Villa of Livia at Prima Porta and the Villa of the Farnesina in their original dimensions.

Finally, the basement is dedicated to the Numismatic Collection of the National Roman Museum, with a path marked by the highlights of the economic history of our country. Luxury and jewelry are documented by sumptuous funerary sets, such as that of the Grottarossa Girl, exhibited next to the small mummy. A selection of objects related to the customs and habits of the Romans illustrates the costs of daily life. The precious scepters presented in the Hall of Imperial Insignia enrich the picture of the "signs of power" in Roman times.