What is the capitol in rome. Rome: Piazzale Michelangelo and Capitol Museum

Although the Capitol is smaller than the other six hills of Rome, it can be called the heart of the Eternal City.

According to legend, Romulus decided to build Rome, starting precisely from this hill. Rem chose another hill - Aventine, but in the heat of a dispute, his brother killed him and began to build all the same from the Capitol. Later, the main temples of ancient Rome stood here, and then the hill became the center of Christian Rome.

And now the Capitol is still considered the most important hill in Rome: the city hall is located here, one of the most important churches in Rome, the famous Capitoline Museums and other attractions. A beautiful panorama of the Roman Forums opens from here.

Attractions of the Capitol: what to see

Capitol Hill stairs

To see all the sights of the Capitol in turn, it is most logical to start your walk from Piazza D "Aracoeli", from where two stairs rise to the top of the hill: the one on the right - Cordonata - was built by Michelangelo, and the one on the left - Scalinata dell " Ara Coeli is not for them, but she is no less famous because she is believed to bring good luck. True, only in one case - winning the lottery.

To the left of this miraculous staircase, modest ruins are visible. These ruins can tell a lot about how ordinary mortals lived in Rome. This is insula - an ancient Roman condominium: a residential building of 5-6 floors, rooms in which were rented out. At the beginning of our era, Rome was built up with such nondescript high-rise buildings. There were about 50,000 of them.

For the most part, insulas served as housing for low-income citizens. For the sake of economy, they were built from just about anything, besides, fires often happened in them, which is why almost all of the insuli of ancient Rome have not survived to this day. The Insula dell'Ara Coeli at the foot of the Capitol is an exception. This communal apartment was built in the II century AD, about 400 people lived in it.

Capitol Temples

Passing the remains of an antique high-rise building, the Scalinata dell "Ara Coeli staircase leads to the facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Ara Coeli. The place where it was built in the 9th century is significant: before the Christian era, there was a temple here. Juno Coins, a goddess highly revered among the Romans. It is no coincidence that banknotes were called by her name: they were minted at this temple. And also, geese were kept on the territory of this temple - they were sacrificed to Juno. These geese warned the commandant of the Capitoline fortress about Gauls, who surrounded the hill at night.

One can only guess what the temple of Juno looked like - only part of the foundation remained from it. But now there is the Church of Santa Maria in Aracheli, which has something to see: firstly, magnificent frescoes, statues and mosaics of medieval masters, and secondly, tombstones by Michelangelo. Pilgrims visit this church not so much for the sake of works of art, as for the sake of ancient Christian shrines: the relics of St. Helena and the miraculous icon of the Madonna, which, according to legend, in the XIV century protected Rome from the plague.

Capitoline Square and its palaces

To the right of the church is Capitol Square ( Piazza del Campidoglio). To get on it, you need to go down the stairs and again climb up the other one - the one that Michelangelo did. It is interesting that this architect did not build any of the buildings on this square, but it is thanks to him that it looks the way it looks. The fact is that Pope Paul III did not like the view of Capitoline Square, it looked too undignified. He entrusted the reconstruction to Michelangelo. He added a monumental staircase to the Palazzo Senatorio, which made the building look more dignified and became the center of the architectural ensemble of the entire square.

As part of the renovation project, the eminent architect also decorated the facade of another building with pilasters - the Palazzo dei Conservatori. Now it houses the Capitoline Museum, but in the time of Michelangelo judges sat. In front of the court, it was decided to build the first public museum in Rome. The architect insisted that it had the same facade as the palace of the judges, then they would look symmetrical. The "double" was built, but after the death of the master. It was named the New Palace (Palazzo Nuovo). As planned, a museum operates in this building. It, like the Capitoline Museum, is definitely worth a visit, they are both very fascinating.

Capitol Square Statues

In the middle of the Capitoline Square stands a monument to Marcus Aurelius. It was not created by Michelangelo, but it was he who decided to install it here. Although in theory he should not have done this - Paul III would definitely not have approved the installation of a statue of a pagan emperor near a Christian church. But there was an embarrassment: for some reason everyone decided that the rider on horseback was Emperor Constantine the Great, whom the Catholics respect very much, because it was he who approved Christianity.The fact that the monument was dedicated to the wrong emperor was learned later, but decided not to change anything.

An interesting detail: the statue of Marcus Aurelius that stands in the center of the square is not original. It was replaced with a real copper one, which deteriorated badly from rains and pigeon droppings. They decided to keep the original, because it is the only equestrian statue made of bronze that has survived from ancient times (made in the 2nd century AD). It is now kept in the Capitol Museum. Another monument has a similar story - a statue of a she-wolf who reared Romulus and Remus.

It used to decorate the facade of the Palace of the Conservatives, but after Michelangelo's reconstruction, it was moved to a museum for preservation, and a cage with a live she-wolf was placed on the square. Today, it is replaced by a modern copy of the original statue.

The oldest part of the Capitol

To the right and to the left of the Palace of the Senators on the Capitol Square, there are two streets. If you go to the right, along via del Campidoglio, you can go to the ruins of Tabularium (Tabularium) - the city archive, built in the 1st century BC. Little remained of it - part of the facade and underground galleries. The rest was first destroyed and then built up. If you go to the left from the Palace of the Senators, along via di San Pietro in Carcere, you will first meet observation deck overlooking the Forum, and then - the Mamertino prison (Carcere Mamertino).

It is the oldest surviving building on Capitol Hill, dating back to the 4th BC. It is believed that the apostles Peter and Paul were held in bondage in this dungeon before being executed. In memory of this, an altar was erected in the dungeon. Mamertine Prison is the edge of the Capitol, behind it is the Forum.

Useful for tourists

You can get around the Capitol without delving into the history of its buildings in half an hour. An excursion with a competent guide will take longer, but it will be much richer - there are many curious things in this place, each stone has its own legend. Walking on Capitol Hill is free, you only need to pay for visiting museums. They work from 9:30 to 19:30, a single day ticket costs 15 €, and for 16 € you can buy a ticket for a week. This is convenient because it is difficult to cover everything in one go. For the inspection of the Mamertine prison, they ask for a donation in the amount of "how much you don't mind," and the entrance to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli is free. It is open from 8:00 to 19:00, but services are held in the morning, so it is better to visit it in the afternoon.

If you plan to combine the inspection of the Capitol with the Forum, then it is better to start with the latter - it is located on the way from the Colosseo metro station. You can do it differently: first, the Capitol, and then go down to the Forum. Then you need to move from Piazza D "Aracoeli".

This hill is not impressive in size. In fact, it is the lowest of the seven hills. But its importance for the city and for the whole of Italy is not calculated in meters of height. Even at the dawn of the birth of Capitol Hill ( Campidoglio) was arranged by his parents - Rem and Romulus. Here temples were erected to many gods and significant historical figures. The Temple of Jupiter - one of the oldest monuments on the hill - has been destroyed and reconstructed several hundred times. Until the Roman society finally came to terms with his departure, and in its place the Church of Santa Maria in Arceli did not grow up.

Attractions on Capitol Square

There are countless monuments, historical and cultural values, as well as mysterious, and now undiscovered mysterious artifacts on Capitol Hill. And each of them has its own unique story... Among which one is more exciting than the other. For example, the old bronze statue of Marcus Aurelius, majestically sitting on a horse, made at the dawn of the new era by an unknown sculptor, was once not destroyed only because the newly minted Christians took it for a statue of Constantine. It is still unknown where this statue originally stood. It is believed to be in the Roman Forum Square or Columns. But she came to Capitol Hill only in 1538 by order of the Third Pope. Moreover, they brought it here from Laterano, where the bronze Marcus Aurelius lived from the 8th century.

Another curious sight of the square is the remains of the mint and the temple of Juno Moneta. The story of the heroine of the ancient monument is striking. According to legend, the sacred geese of the goddess of the morning once warned the Roman people about the imminent advance of the Gauls. It was then that Juno began to be called Coin, which in translation meant "warned." Later, minted money in the courtyard near the temple began to be called coins in her honor. So this name spread all over the world.

At the dawn of its development, Capitol Hill was a huge majestic fort, which for decades could not be approached by invaders. But by the 13th century, it had radically changed. Once again, the Temple of Jupiter was burned to the ground. All ancient prayer books and altars were destroyed - in honor of the entry into force of the new faith. And the hill itself was so overgrown with bizarre patterns of plants and collapsed that it was attractive only to local cattle. For which he was even nicknamed "Goat Mountain".

But the grandeur of the ancient monument did not end there. Michelangelo himself undertook to rebuild it in 1532. And, being a master of unsurpassed talent, he literally transformed an abandoned area into a work of architectural art. There are now three staircases leading up to the hill. The lateral ones are narrow and long. And the magnificent central staircase by Michelangelo himself. However, her grace also fades when the visitor sees the vastness of the modern Capitol Hill, decorated with all the colors of its long and fascinating history of life.

Capitol Hill in Rome- the smallest in area and height of the seven hills of Rome (46 meters above sea level). The Capitol is the most important hill in Rome, where the temples of Minerva and Jupiter were built in ancient times.

There are three staircases to climb Capitol Hill. Central staircase with curb(The cordonata) by Michelangelo Buonarotti is wider and flatter. Its foundation is guarded by two sculptures of ancient Egyptian lions made of marble. The central staircase is decorated with the Trophies of Mario, statues of Constantine and Constantine II, two messengers from the Apia Way. The top of the stairs is crowned two statues of the Dioscuri(twins Pollux and Castor), surrounded by horses, brought from the theater of Pompey during excavations of the 16th century. On the left is a staircase that climbs 122 steps to the Cathedral of Santa Maria in Arachele. An inconspicuous staircase leads up to the hill to the right of the road.

Basilica of Santa Maria In Aracele at the top of the Capitoline Hill - the most revered temple in Rome. Previously, this place housed the "Altar of the Firstborn of the Lord" and the ancient temple of Juno Coin, in which denarii (Roman money) were printed. Since then, the name "coin" (small money from an alloy) has come into use. Emperor Augustus here had a vision of "the birth of the Son of God."

The she-wolf is a symbol of Rome. Opposite is a stele with a copy of the She-Wolf made of bronze.

Main Square of the Capitol, bounded by the Palace of the Senators, the Palace of the Guardians and the New Palace, acquired its appearance by 1536 thanks to the project of Michelangelo Buonarotti. This project was carried out by order of Pope Paul III and is timed to coincide with the visit of King Charles V (from sketches and drawings to the design and layout of building facades, as well as the drawing on the pavement square). Work on the unique star-shaped paving of Capitol Square was carried out only in 1940. Today architectural ensemble The Capitol is the seat of the Municipality of Rome. A stele with a copy of a bronze monument to the legendary "She-Wolf" (a symbol of Rome), brought here from Lateran, and a fountain adorn the Capitoline Square near the Senatorial Palace. Here it is the most luxurious observation deck on the beauty of Rome and the Forum... The bronze statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius occupying the center of the square (copy) is the only equestrian statue of Rome that has come down to descendants since ancient times (II century AD).

The centerpiece of the square is Palace of the Senators with two flight stairs. The statue "Jubilant Rome" with a ball in hand (symbol of the rule of Rome) is located in a niche under the stairs, also designed by Michelangelo, and two statues on the sides are the personification of the Tiber and Nile rivers.

Attractions of the Palace of the Senators:

• Hall of the City Council;
• Hall of Soviets;
• Hall of Flags;
• Capitoline Collection of Celebrity Busts - Protomoteca (1950).

New Palace- This is the Capitoline Museum, which contains the original of the marble equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius and the monuments of ancient art "Wounded Amazon", "Dying Gaul", "Statue of Satyr with a bunch of grapes." The attractions of the New Palace are the Halls of Philosophers and the Imperial Hall, decorated with 65 busts of the emperors of Rome.

Guardian Palace- This is museum. The main pearl of the museum is a bronze sculpture of the "Roman She-Wolf" that nurtured Remus and Romulus (original, 5th century BC). The art gallery of the Palace of the Guardians delights visitors with masterpieces by Velazquez, Caravaggio, Titian, Rubens.

San Pietro In Carcele street- the street of antiquities in Rome, leading to the Forum of Caesar. The Caesar Forum is the first of the five Imperial Forums in Rome (AD 54-46). Caesar's Forum today is a rectangular area surrounded on three sides by an arched gallery. The ruins of the Temple of Venus - the Ancestor (3 columns with a beam) are the main attraction of the Caesar Forum.

Rome is a city, visiting which a person can get in touch with time. It was built a long time ago, and on its territory there are preserved places created more than two millennia ago. One of them is the Capitol. The architectural ensemble located on this hill is the most popular attraction. Read about the history of the Capitol, how to get there, and also about its significance in the article.

What is it?

It is believed that the name of the hill is due to the temple of the same name, located on it. The exact lexical meaning of the word Capitol has not yet been established. A number of art critics believe that it carries such a meaning: the head, something important, the main thing, life or a person.

The Capitol in Rome is called the Capitol Hill. This hill is the lowest in the city. At the same time, it is the center of culture and politics of Rome, and is also visited by thousands of tourists every year. A large number of architectural monuments that have survived since antiquity are concentrated here.

Hill

The Capitol ensemble in Rome is located on one of the seven hills in the city. Each of them has its own name: Caelius, Palatine, Quirinal, Aventine, Viminal, Esquiline and Capitol.

On the last hill from ancient times towered all kinds of temples dedicated to the gods. The geese that lived in the temple of Juno Coin warned the Romans that the Gauls were preparing to attack them. The first courtyard was also built here, where money was minted. They began to be called coins in honor of the wife of Jupiter. Seven hills are known all over the world. The Capitol is famous for the many signs that took place here. Moreover, this place is considered sacred. All kinds of churches and basilicas are still located here.

There is no traveler in the world who would not know that seven hills lie at the base of Rome. However, few people understand that it was the Capitol that became the hill where the city was born. Since antiquity, this hill has been the political center of Rome. Previously, emperors ruled here, but now the mayor of the city and the municipality work here.

The Capitol is a low hill. It towers over the Roman Forum. Its height is measured by forty-six meters.

Temple

The Capitol in Rome is not just a hill. One of the most important temples in the city bears the same name. It is the first religious building to be built on this hill. It is dedicated to the so-called Capitoline Triad, which includes Minerva, Jupiter and Juno Coin. Since ancient times, it consisted of three parts dedicated to a specific god or goddess. The center was dedicated to Jupiter, the right side to Minerva, and the left side to Juno. In each of the parts there was an altar.

Here they not only worshiped deities, but also minted coins, held councils. The temple housed an archive. This architectural monument forever remained a symbol of power, strength, immortality of Rome.

This building has a long history. Once the center of the city was concentrated in it, but then it lost its significance. In the 5th century, it was plundered during the capture of Rome. It is believed that then the ensemble lost not only a number of cult objects, but also several bars of gold, which, according to legend, were kept under the throne of Jupiter, in a specially created niche. The Capitoline Temple, or was destroyed by time in the 6th century AD. Archaeologists have made every effort to restore it. Thanks to their efforts, part of the foundation and a small fragment of the wall were reconstructed. They can be seen in one of the halls of the Palazzo Conservatory.

History

The Capitol in Rome became the religious, political center of this city immediately after it was founded. The fact is that it was easier to defend Rome in the highlands than in the lowlands. He served the Romans long time, the top of the hill was never empty. After the temple of the same name was destroyed, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Araceli appeared nearby. It was located in the center of a hill. She not only served as a church, but also held meetings of the people.

Ruins are located not far from the foot of the Araceli. They belong to an ancient building - insula, which served as something like a modern hotel. Since the first century, Rome has been massively built up with similar buildings. At the same time, those people who did not have a lot of money lived on the upper floors, and wealthy citizens who were able to pay for housing settled on the first floors and received some conveniences at their disposal. For example, sewerage and water supply.

Until the sixteenth century, the buildings of the Capitoline Ensemble were not restored, so many of them were in a deplorable state. However, when the Roman Emperor Habsburg decided to visit the city, Paul the Third took care of the view of Rome. Work on the restoration of the square, around which all the structures were built, was entrusted to Michelangelo in 1536. Unfortunately, he did not have time to finish the work, and most of them were carried out according to his ideas under the guidance of the Italian architect, sculptor Giacomo Della Porta, as well as other students of Buonarroti. The capitol has been preserved as the works of these people made it by the end of 1654.

sights

The Capitol in Rome attracts travelers with its attractions, including:

• Staircase of Cardonata. This is one of three stairs that can be used to climb the hill.
• Capitol Square. It is located at the top of the hill, being its center. Others are built along its perimeter.
• The equestrian statue of the emperor, in turn, rises in the middle of the square.
• The symbol of the city is the Wolf, symbolizing justice. Previously, it was located on the street, near the entrance to the Palazzo Conservatory, however, it was moved inside the building. Before this statue was found, there was a cage with a live she-wolf in the Capitol.

• Palace of the Senators. For some time this architectural monument served as a repository, however, now it houses the City Hall of Rome. It is because of this that not all rooms can be entered.
• The Palace of the Conservatives got its name from the fact that it once hosted meetings of senators and judges. They were just called corservators. Now the building serves as a museum, where you can find busts, frescoes. The Pinakothek is also famous, where canvases of the greatest artists are exhibited.
• Palazzo Nuovo is the youngest architectural monument of the ensemble. It exactly reproduces the Palace of the Conservatives. Antique sculptures are kept here.
• The Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracheli is built on the site where the temple of Juno Coin once stood. The miraculous sculpture of Jesus in infancy is kept here.

Cultural wealth

The Capitol in Rome is not only religious, political, but also cultural center ancient city... It houses a number of museums, each of which is worthy of attention.

Within the walls of the Palace of the Senators, built in the first century BC, there is a museum-repository of stone slabs, inscriptions on which tell about Ancient rome... From them you can find out how life was conducted here and what was the policy of the rulers.

The Palace of the Conservatives houses a museum of marble busts created in Ancient Rome. In addition, here you can see the frescoes and visit the Pinakothek. This gallery exhibits paintings by prominent artists such as Rubens, Velazquez and Caravaggio. All kinds of artifacts can be found in the Castellani Hall, and rich collections of coins and jewelry can be found in coins.

Palazzo Nuovo was built to be a museum. And so it happened: there are sculptures not only Roman, but also Greek.

Excursions

Rome is an eternal city, always open to the public. Therefore, a large number of different excursions are held here. Most popular tourist place, concurrently - the heart of the city is the Capitol in Rome. How to get to this place? Easily. This can be done both independently and with a group. However, it is important to understand that Rome is enough Big City, and you can get lost in it, staring at the masterpieces of architecture.

Almost all tourists who have visited eternal city visiting the Capitol ensemble. Many of its member museums operate on the same schedule. For example, you can get to places such as Palazzo Nuovo, the Palace of the Conservatives and the Palace of the Senators on any day except Monday, from nine in the morning to eight in the evening.

How to get there?

You can get to the Capitol in different ways. You can get to the hill by taking the metro line B train. In addition, Rome has an extensive bus system, the routes of which also run through the hills. You can also call a taxi and get to the Capitol by car.

Hiking is available to everyone. There are three staircases to climb the Capitol Hill in Rome. The left leads to the Basilica of Santa Maria in Araceli. The central one was designed by Michelangelo and is considered the main staircase of the entire ensemble. The right one is rather inconspicuous; as a rule, the townspeople use it. Therefore, if tourists want to climb a hill in the shade and at the same time not get into the crowd, they can use it.

Capitoline Square is an architectural ensemble that has been created over several centuries on the top of one of the seven legendary hills of Rome. Today, the most important archaeological and artistic exhibitions of Rome are located in its buildings.

Its modern appearance took shape for the most part in the era of the High Renaissance according to the project, although the overall construction progressed extremely slowly and by the end of the architect's life, in 1564, not even half of the planned buildings had been erected. After 1564, the work was headed by Michelangelo's student - Giacomo della Porta, and then Giacomo's student - Girolamo Rainaldi (he was helped by his son, Carl Rainaldi). Finally, Capitol Square was considered completed in 1654, but some parts of the project were completed only in the first half of the 20th century.

The Capitol is known as the place where the vestal Tarpea, the daughter of Spurius Tarpey, the head of the Capitol Fortress, was executed for treason. According to legend, during the war with the Sabines, she opened the gates to the enemies, for which she was either thrown from the Capitol or showered with shields by the Sabines themselves. Subsequently, the Sabines settled on the hill. In the VIII century BC. NS. here was the sanctuary of the god Vulcan. At the top was the temple of the Capitoline Trinity, which was considered the most grandiose in the city, and several other important sacral buildings. Also on the Capitol was located the state archive of Rome - Tabularia, where the people's decrees were kept. In addition, by the 16th century there were also the Palace of the Senators of the 10th century and the Palace of the Conservatives of the 15th century. All these buildings or their remains did not form a single ensemble. At one time, Capitol Hill was in such decline that it was even called the Goat Hill, since goats were herded here.

According to some sources, it is known that the reason for the large-scale reconstruction of the Capitol was the visit of Charles V, King, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, to Rome in 1536. The solemn procession was led by Pope Paul III (Alessandro Farnese). The procession was unable to climb the hill, as it was covered with thickets and ruins. In the same year, Paul III commissioned the creation of a project for a new square and the restoration of old buildings to Michelangelo, who soon prepared a detailed plan for the Capitoline Square. According to another version, the Pope was preparing Rome for the visit of the King of Spain in 1538. An idea of ​​the layout drawn up by Michelangelo is provided by an engraving in 1568 by E. Duperak. It shows the area from a bird's eye view.

In total, the architect participated in the work for 10 years - from 1536 to 1546. His project turned out to be incredibly large-scale. First of all, Michelangelo turned the square towards the new, Christian, center of Rome and simply towards the main urban development. The main axis overlooked St. Peter's Basilica, which used to be on the outskirts of the city. Behind the Capitoline Square was the ancient center of the city - the Roman Forum. It offers a beautiful view if you go around the Palace of the Senators. In the center of the entire ensemble, Michelangelo placed an equestrian statue of the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180) on a pedestal designed by him. (It survived only due to the fact that in Byzantine times it was mistaken for a statue of Constantine the Great (306-337), the first Christian emperor. Now a bronze copy is installed instead of this sculpture, the original is placed in one of the archaeological museums of the Capitol.) the compositional axis of the ensemble is determined. Michelangelo had to deal with dilapidated medieval buildings that stood relative to each other at the wrong angle, that is, in fact, outside the urban planning system.

A solemn approach led to the complex - a wide and gently sloping staircase, which Michelangelo arranged, taking into account the relief. At the base of the staircase, there are two ancient Egyptian marble lions. At the end of the ascent, at the edge of the square, in 1583, they erected the statues of Dioscuri, Castor and Polyeuct, discovered during excavations in the theater of Pompey. Nearby, along the balustrade, were placed the Trophies of Mario, statues of Constantine and Constantine II and two verst pillars from the Appian Way.

The incorrect arrangement of old buildings on the square - the Palace of the Senators (in the center) and the Palace of the Conservatives (on the right side) - forced Michelangelo to resort to optical distortion techniques and introduce the rules of reverse perspective into the structure of the square. The architects of the Hellenistic and Roman eras also used illusory effects. This architectural solution of the genius turned out to be so ingenious that it was perceived and developed in Baroque architecture. Opposite the Palace of the Conservatives, Michelangelo erected the New Palace symmetrical to it, placing it in relation to the central Palace of the Senators at the same angle. Thus, all three buildings, together with the square, formed a regular trapezoid: at the entrance to the square there was a short side (40 meters), and in front of the Palace of Senators - a long one (54 meters). Therefore, the Senatorial Palace seems larger than it really is, and the facades of the side palazzo are longer. With a total depth of 68 meters, an impressive monumental effect has been achieved. The trapezoid is played up with a special pattern, which is lined with travertine in the paving of the square: a complex twelve-pointed star is inscribed in the shape of an ellipse. The front side of the ellipse was narrower than the far side, which made the whole figure ovoid. In perspective, when shortened, it gives the impression of a circle. According to the beautiful remark of one of the researchers of Michelangelo's work, Charlie de Tolnaya, the star, with its delicate structure, recalls the famous Latin expression "Caput Mund" (center of the world), which is usually attributed to Rome. It is interesting to understand why Michelangelo used a star in the pattern. The fact is that in Roman times, at the top of the Capitol, augurs wondered, observing the phenomena in the sky. Hence the name of the temple to the left of the modern Capitoline square - Santa Maria in Araceli, which means the temple of Mary on the Altar of Heaven. Apparently, Michelangelo, designing the facing of the square in the form of a twelve-pointed star, with a clear allusion to the zodiacal circle of the firmament, was guided by this knowledge of the Capitol.

The patterned paving of the square was not carried out during the Renaissance. Sometimes this is explained by his pagan reminiscences, which is very doubtful, since the whole plan seems to be based on ancient inspiration. It also emphasizes the abundance antique sculptures, and the architectural stylist of buildings, and expositions located in the buildings. The square was paved in accordance with the drawings of Michelangelo only in 1940 by order of Benito Mussolini, known, in addition to his political role in history, and archaeological interests. Michelangelo's idea is distinguished by a particular geometric clarity: the hierarchical center of the ensemble (the Palace of the Senators) was revealed, the supremacy of which is emphasized by the comparative modesty of the side structures (the New Palace and the Palace of the Conservatives). All buildings, including the central one, are united rhythmically and on a large scale: the proportions of façade divisions, elements of their decor, and the basis in the form of an order system are repeated. For each palazzo, Michelangelo designed a new façade.

The façade of the Palace of the Senators, on which the remains of the façade of ancient Tabularia have been preserved, is especially distinguished by the use of a large order and large divisions. On both sides of the facade there are staircases, according to Vasari's interpretation, symbolizing the great rivers Nile and Tiber. The ground floor is decorated with rustication, that is, imitation of open masonry, while the second floor is plastered, and its flat surface is divided by large pilasters. Between them there are pairs of windows with embossed figured trims. The main axis is emphasized in the building. A bell tower rises above the roof, which has become the main vertical axis of the Capitoline Square. In 1579, Martini Longhi, Michelangelo's successor, increased the planned height and built a pond in front of the façade with figures of sea deities. The tower is crowned with the figure of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. At the foot of the stairs there is another sculpture - "Jubilant Rome", which depicts Minerva holding the globe. Its imperial symbolism is easy to understand.

Symmetrical, almost mirrored facades of the Palace of Conservatives and the New Palace play the role of architectural "curtains" of the square. They, like the Palace of the Senators, are two-tiered, but their first floor is an open gallery with seven spans, and not a solid massive basement. Pilasters unite both floors. Each opening is also flanked by two small columns placed close to the main pillars. On the second tier, between the pilasters, there are large windows with platbands. The central axes are marked out very modestly, only due to the enlargement of the upper window openings. Balustrades with replicas of antique marble statues are installed along the perimeter of the roofs of all three buildings.