Centrale Montemartini is a museum on Via Ostiense in Rome, inside the city’s first public power station. Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures from the Capitoline Museums stand beside the building’s preserved turbines, engines and boilers. Look for the marble figures of Apollo, floor mosaics and papal train carriages, as well as drawings by Maria Barosso. The former industrial halls give the collection a different setting from Rome’s central museums, and the quieter atmosphere can make it easier to take your time among the exhibits.
A power station becomes a museum
The building began operating in 1912 as Rome’s first public electricity plant. Known as the Giovanni Montemartini Thermoelectric Centre, it supplied power to the surrounding area of Ostiense. It closed in 1963, leaving behind an industrial complex with turbines, engines and boilers.
In the 1990s, works from the Capitoline Museums were moved here while those museums underwent renovation. The arrangement was intended to be temporary, but the combination of sculpture and machinery led to the power station being adapted as a permanent museum. The collection opened in its new home in 1997.
Sculpture among the machinery
The former engine halls keep much of their industrial character. Large engines and turbines rise above rows of classical sculptures, placing carved marble against heavy equipment built to generate electricity. The contrast is visible throughout the galleries: the scale and dark surfaces of the machines set off the pale stone figures.
Among the works to look for are statues of Apollo, figures of Antinous and a sculpture of Icarus. The displays also include ancient Greek and Roman sculpture, busts, tomb inscriptions and other archaeological objects. Together, the objects show how material from the Capitoline collections takes on a different presence in a working industrial interior.
Mosaics and archaeological details
Mosaics are among the museum’s other major draws. Some are displayed on the floors, including scenes of hunting, while other mosaics and sculptural fragments come from archaeological discoveries in Rome. Tomb objects and inscriptions add smaller details to the larger displays of statues and machinery.
Give yourself time to look down as well as around the halls. The mosaics are artworks in their own right, and their scale and placement offer a change of pace from the monumental engines and standing figures.
The papal carriages and Maria Barosso
A separate area contains three carriages from the train owned by Pope Pius IX. Built in the nineteenth century, the carriages bring another chapter of Rome’s history into the former power station, alongside its ancient collections and industrial equipment.
The museum also displays architectural drawings by Maria Barosso, whose work records changes to Rome. These drawings offer a different way to explore the city’s past, complementing the sculptures, mosaics and preserved machinery.
Planning your visit
Centrale Montemartini is at Via Ostiense, 106, in the Ostiense district. It is part of the Capitoline Museums network, but it is a separate museum from the Capitoline Museums themselves. If you are visiting the latter too, ask about the Capitolini Pass, which the supplied information identifies as providing access to Centrale Montemartini.
The museum is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday through Sunday. Advance tickets are recommended. The building has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, elevator and restroom. Set aside a couple of hours if you want to spend time with both the art and the power station’s preserved equipment.
Perguntas frequentes
Where is Centrale Montemartini?
It is at Via Ostiense, 106, in Rome’s Ostiense district.
How long do you need at Centrale Montemartini?
Allow a couple of hours to explore the sculptures, mosaics and power station machinery.
Is Centrale Montemartini part of the Capitoline Museums?
It is part of the Capitoline Museums network and displays works from the Capitoline collections, but it is a separate museum.
Can you visit Centrale Montemartini with a Capitolini Pass?
The supplied information says to ask about the Capitolini Pass at the Capitoline Museums for access to Centrale Montemartini.
Is Centrale Montemartini wheelchair accessible?
The museum has a wheelchair-accessible entrance, elevator and restroom.
