What is Villa Caffarelli
Villa Caffarelli stands on the southern summit of the Capitoline Hill, where the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus stood in antiquity: parts of the temple's tuff foundations are still visible along the museum route. The sixteenth-century palace of the Caffarelli family, long the seat of the Prussian embassy, was returned to the Capitoline Museums as an exhibition wing and reopened in 2021 with the Torlonia marbles show.
Today it's the engine of the museum's major temporary exhibitions: 16 rooms over two levels, reached from inside the Conservatori route. In the Caffarelli garden, since 2024, rises the 13-metre reconstruction of the colossus of Constantine — free to see, no ticket needed.
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | Via delle Tre Pile / Piazzale Caffarelli, accessed from the museum route |
| Ticket | Included in the combined museum + exhibitions ticket (€20.50/€15) or with a supplement |
| Hours | Same as the museum: daily 9:30am–7:30pm · details |
| Time per exhibition | 60–90 minutes |
The 2026 exhibitions at Villa Caffarelli
Vasari and Rome — until 19 July 2026
The closing event of the celebrations marking 450 years since Giorgio Vasari's death: paintings, drawings and documents on the Arezzo-born artist's relationship with Rome. Included in the museum's combined ticket.
Diego Rivera and the Making of Modern Art in Mexico — 9 June – 13 December 2026
The largest Mexican art exhibition in Europe in decades and the first Italian monographic show on Rivera. Dedicated ticket: €15 full, €13 reduced, family rates available (official data: museicapitolini.org).
Museum + exhibitions in one entry
With the combined ticket you see the permanent collection and the Villa Caffarelli shows in the same visit.
The exhibitions that made Villa Caffarelli's name
- The Torlonia marbles (2021–2022): the reopening show, with 96 sculptures from the world's most famous private collection, unseen for decades.
- Domitian the Emperor. Hate and Love (2022–2023): around a hundred works on the last of the Flavians, between damnatio memoriae and historical rehabilitation.
- Greece in Rome (2025–2026): over 150 Greek masterpieces that reached the ancient city, closed on 12 April 2026.
The rhythm is one or two major shows a year: come back to Rome months later and Villa Caffarelli is the one part of the Capitoline you'll always find changed.
The colossus of Constantine in the garden
The original fragments of the colossus — head, hand, foot in marble — have stood in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori since the fifteenth century. In the Villa Caffarelli garden a full 1:1 reconstruction has been installed: 13 metres of seated emperor, built from 3D modelling of the fragments. The garden is free to enter: if you're passing the Capitoline without time for the museum, you can still see the colossus. The best shot is from below, at a three-quarter angle, in late afternoon.
Practical tips
- Suggested order: do the Villa Caffarelli exhibition as soon as you enter (groups crowd it from mid-morning), then take the permanent collection at your own pace.
- Total time: museum + one exhibition = a full half day. For the Rivera show alone, allow 90 minutes.
- The Terrazza Caffarelli, the panoramic café terrace, looks out over the rooftops of Rome towards St Peter's: the perfect break between exhibition and museum.
- The route to Villa Caffarelli passes the foundations of the temple of Jupiter: stop — it's the oldest thing on the entire hill.
For the full picture of the visit, start from the main Capitoline Museums guide.
Frequently asked questions
What's on at Villa Caffarelli in 2026?
“Vasari and Rome” until 19 July 2026 and “Diego Rivera and the Making of Modern Art in Mexico” from 9 June to 13 December 2026 (source: museicapitolini.org).
Does Villa Caffarelli have a separate entrance?
The exhibitions are reached from inside the Capitoline Museums route, with a combined or dedicated ticket. The garden with the colossus of Constantine, however, is free to enter.
Is the exhibition included in the Capitoline Museums ticket?
During exhibition periods the museum applies a combined rate (€20.50 full in 2026) that includes the current shows; some exhibitions, such as Diego Rivera, also have a dedicated ticket.
Is the colossus of Constantine the real one?
The Villa Caffarelli garden holds the full-scale reconstruction (13 metres), built from 3D scans of the original fragments. The authentic fragments — head, hand, foot — are in the courtyard of the Palazzo dei Conservatori.
What was Villa Caffarelli before the exhibitions?
The sixteenth-century Caffarelli palace stands on the site of the temple of Jupiter Capitolinus and was long the seat of the Prussian embassy; it returned to the Capitoline Museums as an exhibition space, reopening in 2021.