The hottest exhibitions and museums in Rome right now

 

The end of summer is almost upon us, which means Romans are slowly but surely coming back from their holidays while the masses of tourists gracing the city (in spite of the ongoing Covid situation!) are for the most part going back home.

This in turn means that this is one of the best times year-round to enjoy sightseeing and the exploration of the city! There are plenty of seasonal events scheduled, and we came up with a list of the ones that are absolutely unmissable right now!

Josef Koudelka’s “Ruins” at the Ara Pacis Museum

Minutes from the Spagna subway station, in the very center of the city, this Czech-French photographer is the subject of a majestic retrospective of his documentation of Greek and Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. Over the span of almost 30 years, the 83-year old maestro has traveled long and wide looking for beauty in the remains of ancient cultures and has found more than one common element in the architecture and art. This exhibition can be visited independently from the Ara Pacis Museum itself, at a cheaper price.

Where to go: Ara Pacis, Lungotevere in Augusta. Open every day from 930AM to 730PM. Tickets can be booked online here.

The Mausoleum of Augustus: a masterpiece returning

We talked briefly about the tomb of emperor Augustus at this address: its reopening to the public has definitely been the event of this pandemic season, and the newly restored site has been a hit with both locals and tourists from abroad.

The visit is on the shorter side (about 1 hour) which explains the very low price of tickets, but the mausoleum really is unmissable: considering its complex history throughout the centuries and the fact that it was almost demolished altogether, it’s miraculous that it can be visited at all, helping us by giving us a greater understanding of the burials of the rich and powerful in ancient Rome. Plus, excavations are ongoing, which is one fascinating event in and of itself. And to top it off, it’s right next door to the Ara Pacis!

Where to go: Mausoleo di Augusto, Piazza Augusto Imperatore. Open every day from 9AM to 7PM, last entry at 5:30PM. Tickets must be booked online here.

Damien Hirst at the Borghese Gallery

For those who love a great juxtaposition, over 80 works from the celebrated British artist are shown side by side with the museum’s classic masterpieces. The contemporary pieces all come from the “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable” series, which was shown for the first time in Venice in 2017, but they acquire an even deeper meaning in this “conversation” with such artists as Caravaggio, Canova, Bernini and so many others. This exhibition will continue until the first week of November.

Where to go: Galleria Borghese, Piazzale Scipione Borghese, 5. Opens Tuesdays to Sundays from 9AM to 7PM (until 10PM on Wednesdays, until 9PM on Thursdays). Ticket booking is mandatory, here.

Tempo Barocco at Palazzo Barberini

Francesca Cappelletti, director of the Borghese Gallery and Flaminia Gennari Santori, her counterpart at the National Gallery of Ancient Art at Palazzo Barberini and Galleria Corsini, have collaborated in imagining this new temporary exhibition on the striking success of the Baroque movement in Rome – and Italy at large.

From Pietro da Cortona to Bernini to Guido Reni, over 40 works are being shown, with important loans from such museums as the National Gallery in London, the Uffizi in Florence, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The exhibition closes in October.

Where to go: Palazzo Barberini, Via delle Quattro Fontane, 13. Opens Tuesdays to Sundays from 10AM to 6PM. Tickets must be booked in advance here. With this ticket, you can also visit Galleria Corsini in Trastevere for free.

Raphael’s “explorations” at the Domus Aurea

The Domus Aurea has also reopened to the public, which would be reason alone to go visit this majestic underground site minutes from the Colosseum. This temporary exhibition, conceived originally to remember the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death, focuses on one of Renaissance Rome’s most unique crazes, when painters used to rappel themselves down holes in the Oppian Hill to copy and study ancient frescoes – little did they know that they had “discovered” emperor Nero’s grandiose palace.

Among them was Raphael, and from their collective observations the grotesques were born – the paintings-cum-decorations with mixed floral motives and fantastic beasts. This exhibition is a hommage to that trend and those artists, and it will continue until January of 2022.

Where to go: Domus Aurea, Parco del Colle Oppio. Open from Fridays to Sundays from 930AM to 415PM. Tickets must be booked in advance here.

More exhibitions worth checking out in Rome right now

Aldo Rossi at the Maxxi Museum: One of several exhibitions currently showing at the contemporary arts museum in the Flaminio district, this focus is on a celebrated architect known for the semplicity of its projects. Until October 17.

Banksy at the Chiostro del Bramante: A stone’s throw from Piazza Navona (and many of our accommodations!), this famous street artist is always a hit with younger crowds of museum-goers and is a must-see to get in touch with a new art language. Until January 9, 2022.

Napoleon and the myth of Rome, at Trajan’s Market: The obsession of the French emperor for all things Rome is very well know, but where does it begin? This exhibitions helps make sense of it all. Until November 7.