Centrale Montemartini

The extensive collection of the Capitoline Museums is partly housed in a power plant, Centrale Montemartini. Unlike the Tate Modern in London, Centrale Montemartini still has the original machinery, making it the most striking exhibition space in Rome. The torsos of Greek and Roman statues are juxtaposed against heavy engines and furnaces, and behind the rows of marble gods are rows of levers and dials.

The creative exhibition spaces are Centrale Montemartini’s selling point, but even if it were an ordinary building, it would still be worth a visit. The museum includes impressive statues of gods, muses and mythological figures, and one of the most famous nude sculptures, the Esquiline Venus. Many of the statues and mosaics displayed here were excavated in the sites of the Roman horti, including the grand gardens belonging to the historian Sallust. The power plant may be a world away from the original setting of this artwork, but Centrale Montemartini is made even more interesting by such contrasts. It’s just a pity that there are so few visitors. Tourists may be discouraged by its location, on the edge of the city centre, but it’s easy to get to and well worth a visit.
Getting there
It’s very close to Garbatella, and also a short walk from Piramide (both metro line B).