Rome & Lazio - Italy - page 218

MUSEO GREGORIANO EGIZIO (EGYPTIAN MUSEUM)
Founded by Gregory XVI in 1839, this museum contains pieces taken from Egypt in Ro-
man times. The collection is small but there are fascinating exhibits including the Trono di
Rameses II , part of a statue of the seated king, vividly painted sarcophagi dating from
around 1000 BC, and some macabre mummies.
MUSEO CHIAROMONTI &
BRACCIO NUOVO
The Museo Chiaramonti is effectively the long corridor that runs down the lower east side
of the Belvedere Palace. Its walls are lined with thousands of statues representing
everything from immortal gods to playful cherubs and ugly Roman patricians. Near the
end of the hall, off to the right, is the Braccio Nuovo (New Wing), which contains a fam-
ous sculpture of Augustus and a statue depicting the Nile as a reclining god covered by 16
babies.
MUSEO PIO-CLEMENTINO
This stunning museum contains some of the Vatican Museums' finest classical statuary,
including the peerless Apollo Belvedere and the 1st-century Laocoön , both in the Cortile
Ottagono (Octagonal Courtyard). Before you go into the courtyard take a moment to ad-
mire the 1st-century Apoxyomenos, one of the earliest known sculptures to depict a figure
with a raised arm.
To the left as you enter the courtyard, the Apollo Belvedere is a 2nd-century Roman
copy of a 4th-century-BC Greek bronze. A beautifully proportioned representation of the
sun god Apollo, it's considered one of the great masterpieces of classical sculpture.
Nearby, the Laocoön depicts a muscular Trojan priest and his two sons in mortal struggle
with two sea serpents.
Back inside the museum, the Sala degli Animali is filled with all sorts of sculpted
creatures and some magnificent 4th-century mosaics. Continuing through, you come to
the Galleria delle Statue , which has several important classical pieces; the Sala delle Buste ,
which contains hundreds of Roman busts; and the Gabinetto delle Maschere , named after the
floor mosaics of theatrical masks. To the east, the Sala delle Muse is centred on the Torso
Belvedere , another of the museum's must-sees. A fragment of a muscular Greek sculpture
from the 1st century BC, it was used by Michelangelo as a model for his ignudi in the
Sistine Chapel.