Based upon an architectural sketch by Michelangelo, this 17th-century museum showcases a prominent collection of artifacts, art and archaeological finds. Items range from the first century BC to the 17th century AD, including the famous fragments of a massive sculpture of Constantine. The overflow of the Capitoline museums collection is housed at the Centrale Montemartini (Via Ostiense 106, Tue-Sun 9.30am-7pm, Metro: Garbatella), a former electrical power plant. Over 400 pieces from the Capitoline collection of ancient sculpture are displayed against the surreal backdrop of the station's gleaming machinery, steam turbines, diesel engines and a colossal cast-iron boiler. BUS: 44, 64, 70, 75, 170, 492 or 628.

Centuries worth of collecting have made this one of the premier art museums in the world. It's small compared to many other art museums, with just 20 galleries on two floors. But those galleries are packed with an array of historically important (and well-known) works, including a circa 320AD Roman mosaic, several Caravaggio paintings, sculptures by Bernini, and pieces by Raphael and Titian.

Built in 1473, the chapel is best known for its majestic ceiling. Michelangelo began work on it in 1508 and, following numerous setbacks, completed the project in four-and-a-half years. Among the many Biblical events and persons depicted: Creation, Adam and Eve, the Fall of Man, Noah and the Flood, and the Last Judgment of Christ. A recent cleaning process removed centuries of grime, allowing the frescoes to display much of their original color. The chapel includes additional frescoes by Perugino, Botticelli and Ghirlandaio. The Chapel is part of the Vatican Museums.

This vast gathering of museums boasts some of the world's most important relics. Extensive collection of Egyptian and Etruscan artifacts, Greco-Roman sculptures dating back as early as the first century BC, numerous archeological findings, and, of course, the legendary Raphael rooms and Sistine Chapel decorated by Michelangelo. Free entrance the last Sunday of the month (8:45am-1:45pm); last entry 90 minutes before doors close.