Baths of Diocletian

National Museum of Rome – Baths of Diocletian

Vast thermal baths now housing funereal artworks & decorations dating back to the Aurelian period. The National Roman Museum has as its mission the acquisition, conservation, enhancement and use of a unique cultural heritage in the world. This exceptional testimony of the past is promoted and developed by the National Roman Museum, projecting the sense of historical continuity into the future. The National Roman Museum was created on 7 March 1889.

The requirement to create a ‘Museum of Antiquities in the Capital of the Kingdom’ was announced as soon as Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870. The urban expansion intended to adapt the city to its new role as capital city resulted in the discovery of numerous works, often of exceptional artistic value. This confirmed the need for the establishment of a museum where the grandeur of the past could be displayed and explored, to celebrate the ambition of a nation that had finally been unified.