The museum is located inside Palazzo Venezia. It is considered the biggest civil work constructed in Rome during the ‘400s. It was the residency of the Venetian cardinal Pietro Barbo, who had it erected between 1455 and 1468, using travertine from the Colosseum and the Marcello theatre.

Between 1929 and 1943, Palazzo Venezia was the headquarters of the Prime Minister and the Grand Council of Fascism and today the palace is home to the museum, which bears the same name. It holds the collections of sculptures and works which once used to be in Castel Sant’Angelo, the National Gallery of Ancient Art and pieces from collections of the nearby Museum of the Roman College.

The Museum safeguards some grand masterpieces painted by artists such as Carlo Maratta, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Guido Reni, Pisanello, Benozzo Gozzoli, Beato Angelico, Giorgione, Giotto and objects such as sculptures, terracotta artefacts, silverware, fabrics, seals, medals, glass, tapestries and enamel. It also hosts temporary exhibitions.