Don't Miss These Famous Statues in Rome

Climb Rome's Seven Hills, walk its cobbles and orientate your way through its winding streets and you'll be amazed by how many famous (and infamous) characters from Roman history you'll encounter along the way. This guide to the most famous statues in Rome brings you face-to-face with these historical and mythical figures, nourishing you with knowledge while introducing you to Rome's lesser-known spots.  

How Many Statues are in Rome?

There are simply too many statues in Rome to count. Historically, thousands of statues have lined Rome's buildings and streets. The Roman Forum was decorated with sculptures of gods and emperors inside temples, palaces, lining porticoes and scattered throughout the Roman and Imperial forums and Campus Martius. Some of these were ancient Roman sculptures, others Greek brought to Rome as the empire expanded, and as time went on the collection grew. Today you will find museums lined with sculptures, sculptures in squares and parks and even along busy streets. 

Two of the largest collections of sculpture in the city are at the Capitoline Museums and the Vatican Museums. There are rooms and hallways lined with hundreds of sculptures from throughout the history of Rome. There are so many that it’s impossible to see them all in one trip — at least if you want to keep the soles of your shoes and your sanity. But our guide to sculpture in Rome will highlight some of the most important and accessible examples.

Ancient busts in the Vatican Museums

A Guide to Rome Statues by Era

Ancient Roman Statues in the City

In the centre of Rome on top of the Capitoline Hill lies the 16th century square known as the Campidoglio. Designed by Michelangelo, the square itself contains 5 examples of ancient Rome sculptures, and inside the museums on either side of the square are countless others. The sculptures in the square:

The Rivers Tiber and River Nile

These river gods are lounging in front of the Palazzo Senatorio with their symbols to show the viewer which river they represent. The Nile rests on a sphinx while the Tiber rests his arm on the Roman she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus.

Minerva

In the centre of the rivers is the Dea Roma (Goddess Roma) also known as Minerva, goddess of wisdom and war, similar to the Greek goddess Athena.

Capitoline She-Wolf

To the left of the Palazzo Senatorio just around the corner is a copy of the Lupa Capitolina, as she is known in Italian.  The original is in the Capitoline Museums and dates back to the 5th century BCE. Under the she-wolf are the twins Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

Marcus Aurelius

The equestrian statue in the centre of the piazza is a copy of the original inside the Capitoline Museums.  There is a tale regarding this sculpture that while the Catholic church was melting down the bronze pagan sculptures from ancient Rome they saved this one thinking that it was Constantine, the emperor who made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century CE.

However, the Christians got it wrong since this is actually a statue of Marcus Aurelius, one of the emperors who was known to persecute Christians during his reign. 

Statues outside and within the Capitoline Museums

Ancient Statues in the Capitoline Museums

The Capitoline Museums are full of sculptures from ancient Rome that can be viewed for a low-priced ticket (€18.50). A few noteworthy sculptures to see are the Dying Gaul, the colossal statue of Constantine (reconstructed in 2024), and the originals of the sculptures described above.

Famous Statues in the Vatican Museums

On the other side of town in the Vatican City are the Vatican Museums. These museums boast the most extensive collection of art and artefacts in the world, with sculptures lining the walls of rooms and hallways throughout the complex. Some of the pieces to take special note of are the Belvedere Torso, the sculpture of the emperor Augustus and the giant bronze statue of Hercules, an excellent example of a Roman god statue which lies in the room with Nero’s giant porphyry bath. 

Famous Statues in the Roman Forum

Most of the sculptures from the ancient Roman Forum are no longer there, with many ending up in the Capitoline and Vatican Museums. Some copies are there for visitors to see. In the House of the Vestals in the centre of the forum, visitors can enter the atrium of the Vestal Virgins and see the beautiful statues depicting the priestesses who once lived here.

House of Vestals Roman Forum | Famous Statues in Rome

Renaissance Statues in Rome

While the Renaissance was happening in Florence, Rome was getting in on some of the action with their own Renaissance a bit further south. Unfortunately, we don’t find quite as many examples of Renaissance sculpture in Rome as we do painting, but what is here is well worth visiting.  The great master Michelangelo sculpted two of his most beautiful works here in Rome.  

Michelangelo's Pieta

Located in the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican City, this is one of Michelangelo’s most beautiful sculptures. Although he was only 23 years old when he began cutting the marble for this work, it remains one of Michelangelo's undisputed masterpieces and the only sculpture the artist ever signed.

Michelangelo's Tomb of Pope Julius II (Moses)

Most commonly known as the Horned Moses by Michelangelo, the Tomb of Pope Julius II was begun in 1505, but it was not until long after the Pope passed away that the tomb was finally completed in 1545 on a scale much less grand than the original designs. It is said that Michelangelo buffed the sculpture of Moses so much that the marble began to take on a transparent glow. Michelangelo was so proud of his Moses and its life-like appearance that he’s said to have commanded it to “Speak!”

Moses by Michelangelo | Famous Statues in Rome

Baroque Statues in Rome

The Baroque style of art closely followed the Renaissance, adding more realism and emotion to paintings and sculptures. One of the masters of the Baroque era was Gian Lorenzo Bernini, and you can see his work all throughout Rome and the Vatican City.  

The Ecstasy of St. Theresa

Found in a chapel in the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria on the northeast side of the city near Termini Station, this is one of my personal favourites. Sculpted in 1652, this stunning sculpture represents the moment when St Theresa is caught up in a moment of “religious ecstasy.” Such an erotic moment depicting a religious scene sets this sculpture apart from the rest.

Statues in the Borghese Gallery

For art lovers, or just those who want to take in as much Roman art culture as they can, the Borghese Gallery is one of the very best museums in the city. Located in the lush green park of Villa Borghese, which resembles Central Park in NYC, the Borghese Gallery is one of Rome's most stunning galleries. Visitors must book tickets in advance (€13) to secure a timed entry and should consider exploring the park as well as the gallery. Of the many Bernini sculptures in this gallery, the three you must not miss are:

Apollo and Daphne

Bernini beautifully captures this Greek myth about a girl running from the sexual advances of the god Apollo. When she begs the gods to help her, she is turned into a laurel tree just as Apollo catches up with her.

Read more about Bernini's Apollo and Daphne.

The Rape of Proserpina

Here is another example of mythology, this time Roman, where a god takes what he wants. Pluto, the God of the underworld, takes the young maiden down to Hades with him. He is depicted here with his dog Cerberus who guards the entrance to hell. Pay particular attention to where Pluto’s hand and fingers dig into Proserpina’s thigh, the realism and sculpting of the marble is truly remarkable.

David 

Inspired by the Old Testament story of David and Goliath, this is one of the only sculptures of this subject matter that is actually in motion. Most other sculptures of David are standing still, stoic, proud in victory after having slain the giant. But Bernini’s David depicts the moment that the boy is winding up his slingshot and about to let it loose to strike Goliath down.

Famous Statues in Rome inside the Borghese Gallery

Ponte Sant’Angelo

This bridge connecting the old city centre to Hadrian’s mausoleum, now known as Castel Sant’Angelo, is decorated with 10 beautiful angels that were sculpted by Bernini and his workshop.  

Each of the angels holds an object from the Passion of the Christ, including the Spear of Longinus, the crown of thorns and the cross to which Christ was nailed. Only two of the angels were carved by Bernini himself (one holds the crown of thorns, the other the plaque with INRI “King of the Jews”) and are now kept in the church of Sant’Andrea delle Fratte.

Ponte Sant’Angelo (Bridge of the Angels) | Famous Statues in Rome

Statues from the Unification of Italy

In the 19th century, a group of military leaders fought hard to bring the separate governments in the various regions on the peninsula of Italy together under one flag. By 1861 they had succeeded in unifying the entire country (except Rome, which was defended by the Pope's army). Yet nine years later, the Pope had been defeated and Rome was brought into the unification. 

Following the Unification of Italy (the Risorgimento, as it is known in Italy), the Italian government began erecting statues and monuments to commemorate the battles and the heroes who fought to unite Italy.

The Altar of the Fatherland

The Altar of the Fatherland is the largest monument in Rome and one of the most popular with people on holiday. Constructed between 1885 and 1925, it sits in Piazza Venezia at the base of the Capitoline Hill and can’t be missed, not because you should make an effort to see it, but because it is so huge, and white and elaborate that you can’t help but see it towering above the rest of the buildings in the city.

Sitting in the very centre of the front of the monument is an enormous sculpture of Italy’s first king Vittorio Emanuele II. This sculpture is so large that during the inauguration of the monument they hosted a banquet in the belly of the horse!

Via Fori Imperiali

This road runs from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum and was constructed in 1932 by Benito Mussolini.  In constructing this road, Mussolini destroyed parts of five ancient forums that border it today (the forums of Caesar, Augustus, Vespasian, Trajan and Nerva). As recompense for this, Mussolini had bronze sculptures of these men placed in the vicinity of the forums that bear their names.

Statue of Julius Caesar outside his Forum on the Via dei Fori Imperiali in Rome.

The eagle-eyed among you may wonder why there are only four sculptures but five forums. This is because Mussolini had no idea that the so-called Forum of Peace was in fact Vespasian's Forum, and so failed to erect a statue of him.

The Janiculum Hill

Considered the eighth hill of Rome, the Gianicolo ascends above the right bank of the River Tiber and its riverside district of Trastevere. At the top of the hill, beyond the Fountain of the Acqua Paola, there is a spectacular lookout point called the Belvedere del Gianicolo where visitors can view the entire city of Rome. In this square is the large late 19th-century Statue of General Giuseppe Garibaldi who was an integral figure in Italy's struggle for unification.

Monument to General Garibaldi on the Janiculum Hill | Famous Statues in Rome

On the way up the hill as you approach the lookout, and in the park beyond the square, there are busts of generals and military figures who were noted for their service in the unification as well.

See Rome's Statues for Yourself

Most of the sculptures in this guide are so beautifully carved and fortunately well-preserved, that we are lucky to have them as life-like representations of the figures most closely associated with the city. Historical and mythical figures are depicted with such beauty and grace that we are inspired to wander the museums, churches, palaces and squares to seek out their company and learn their stories.

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