The Museo Nazionale Etrusco di Villa Giulia at Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9 in Rome is the world’s most important museum of Etruscan civilisation, housed in a spectacular Renaissance villa built for Pope Julius III in 1551.
This guide was updated in June 2026. The full admission is €13 — many aggregators and guides still show €8 or €10, both out of date. Four active alerts apply in 2026: Rooms 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, and 39 are temporarily closed for works; an elevator in the Room 13 area is out of service; and the Sarcophagus of the Spouses — the museum’s most iconic object — is currently under restoration and not in its usual gallery, viewable only on Tuesdays and Thursdays from the restoration lab. You can book through GetYourGuide in advance.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Piazzale di Villa Giulia 9, 00196 Rome, Lazio. |
| Hours | Tuesday–Sunday, 08:30–19:30 |
| Rooms close | 19:00 |
| Last entry | 18:30 |
| Closed | Mondays; 1 January; 1 May; 25 December |
| Full price | €13 |
| Reduced (EU citizens 18–25) | €2 |
| Under 18 | Free |
| Free days | First Sunday of the month |
| Rooms 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, 39 | Temporarily closed for works (from 24 March 2026) |
| Elevator (Room 13 area) | Out of service for exhibition renovation (from 12 May 2026) |
| Sarcophagus of the Spouses | Under restoration — viewable in restoration lab Tue and Thu, 10:00–13:00 |
| Tomba François | Now on permanent display (new state acquisition) |
| Nearest tram | Tram 19 (Piazza Thorvaldsen stop) |
| Nearest bus | Bus 168 (Piazzale Flaminio area) |
| Nearest car park | Underground car park at Piazzale Clodio |
| Typical visit | 2–3.5 hours |
ETRU opening hours
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 08:30 to 19:30. Exhibition rooms close at 19:00 and the last entry is at 18:30 — note the three distinct times. The museum is closed every Monday, as well as on 1 January, 1 May, and 25 December. Free admission applies on the first Sunday of every month.
Active from 24 March 2026: Rooms 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, and 39 are temporarily closed to the public for renovation work. No confirmed reopening date is published. Check the news section of the official website before visiting.
ETRU admission prices
The full price is €13, confirmed on the official homepage. Many aggregators and older travel guides still show €8 or €10 — both are significantly out of date. The reduced price for EU citizens aged 18–25 is just €2 — one of the lowest reduced rates at any Italian national museum.
| Category | Price |
|---|---|
| Full price | €13 |
| Reduced (EU citizens 18–25) | €2 |
| Under 18 | Free |
| First Sunday of month | Free |
| MIC Card holders | Free |
| Disabled visitors + companion | Free |
Book through GetYourGuide to reserve your entry.
Why visit the National Etruscan Museum?
- 🏛️ The world’s greatest Etruscan collection: The Pyrgi Gold Tablets, the Apollo of Veio, the Ficoroni Cist, the Castellani Collection, and the Euphronios Krater (returned from the Met) — the material culture of the civilisation that preceded Rome, at a scale matched by no other institution.
- 🎟️ The Sarcophagus of the Spouses is viewable during restoration: The museum’s most iconic object is currently in the conservation lab. On Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 to 13:00, visitors can watch restorers at work on it — an unusual close encounter with a masterpiece that is normally behind glass.
- 🌿 The Tomba François is now on display: A recent state acquisition brought this Etruscan painted tomb — one of the most important works of ancient Italian painting — to Villa Giulia. Previously visible only in Vulci, it is now accessible in Rome for the first time.
- 📜 The villa itself is a Renaissance masterwork: The nymphaeum at the rear of Villa Giulia, designed by Bartolomeo Ammannati in 1553 and one of the finest Renaissance garden architecture survivals in Rome, is part of the museum visit.
- 💰 EU citizens aged 18–25 pay just €2: One of the lowest reduced admission rates in the Italian national museum system. Present a valid EU ID or passport at the ticket desk.
How to get to the National Etruscan Museum
By tram, Tram 19 stops at Piazza Thorvaldsen, directly at the entrance to the Villa Borghese park, from which the museum is a 10-minute walk through the park or around the perimeter. Tram 19 connects to Piazza del Risorgimento (near the Vatican Museums) and Largo di Torre Argentina in the historic centre.
By bus, several routes serve the Flaminio area. From Piazzale Flaminio (Piazza del Popolo), bus 168 runs along Viale delle Belle Arti to the museum approach. The museum is around 1.5 km north of Piazzale Flaminio — a 20-minute walk through Villa Borghese is also pleasant.
By metro, the nearest station is Flaminio (Line A, orange), which is around 20 minutes on foot through the Villa Borghese park. A taxi or bus from Flaminio takes around 5 minutes.
By car, the museum is on the Viale delle Belle Arti ring road north of Villa Borghese. The nearest underground car park is at Piazzale Clodio.
Parking at the National Etruscan Museum
Limited metered street parking is available on Piazzale di Villa Giulia and Via di Villa Giulia. The nearest substantial car park is at Piazzale Clodio, a 10-minute walk. Tram 19 from the historic centre or the Villa Borghese walk from Flaminio metro are both more practical than driving.
How long to spend at the National Etruscan Museum
Allow 2 to 3.5 hours for a thorough visit. The museum covers approximately 40 rooms across the Villa Giulia and the nymphaeum, plus the Villa Poniatowski building (check opening status before visiting). Note that Rooms 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, and 39 are currently closed — this reduces the full itinerary by several rooms. An audio guide in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, and Russian is available for hire from the bookshop.
Accessibility at the National Etruscan Museum
The museum has lift access to multiple floors. However, the elevator serving the Room 13 exhibition area is currently out of service for renovation of the surrounding exhibition layout (from 12 May 2026) — check current status with museum staff at the entrance. The nymphaeum terrace is accessible via ramp. Disabled visitors and one companion enter free. Contact the museum (+39 06 3226571) in advance for specific accessibility requirements.
What to see at the National Etruscan Museum
The Pyrgi Gold Tablets (Lamine d’Oro di Pyrgi) are arguably the museum’s most significant scholarly object. Three gold sheets found at the sanctuary of Pyrgi (the Etruscan port of Caere/Cerveteri) in 1964, they carry parallel inscriptions in Etruscan and Phoenician — a bilingual text that has been central to deciphering the Etruscan language. They date to c.500 BC.
The Apollo of Veio (c.510–500 BC) is a life-size terracotta figure discovered at Veio in 1916. One of the finest surviving examples of Etruscan sculpture, it retains traces of original polychrome paint.
The Sarcophagus of the Spouses (Sarcofago degli Sposi) is currently under restoration and not in its usual gallery. On Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00–13:00, visitors can watch conservators at work in the restoration lab — a 6th-century BC terracotta reclining couple described by D.H. Lawrence as among the most expressive ancient objects he had encountered.
The Tomba François is a newly acquired Etruscan painted tomb, brought to the museum following its acquisition by the Italian state. It preserves some of the finest surviving examples of Etruscan figurative painting, including mythological scenes and historical narrative figures. Previously visible only at Vulci or in photographs, it is now accessible in Rome.
The Ficoroni Cist (c.330 BC) is a bronze cylindrical container decorated with Argonauts scenes and inscribed as a gift from a mother to her daughter — among the most technically accomplished bronzework from pre-Roman Italy.
The Villa Giulia nymphaeum is Ammannati’s 1553 sunken semicircular garden at the rear of the building — two curving stairways descend to a mosaic-decorated loggia, one of the finest Renaissance garden spaces in Rome.
Practical tips for visiting the National Etruscan Museum
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Check the active room closures | Rooms 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, and 39 are closed for works since 24 March 2026. Plan your route through the museum using the current open-room list on museoetru.it. |
| See the Sarcophagus during restoration | On Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00–13:00, visitors can observe the Sarcophagus of the Spouses being conserved in the restoration lab — an experience unavailable before 2026. |
| The full price is €13, not €8 or €10 | Multiple aggregators and well-ranked guides still show the old price. The current full ticket is €13; EU citizens 18–25 pay €2. |
| Last entry is 18:30, rooms close at 19:00 | The building closes at 19:30 but no new visitors are admitted after 18:30 and rooms are cleared from 19:00. Arrive well before 18:30 for a full visit. |
| Book in advance | Walk-up tickets are available but booking ahead secures your slot, especially on busy summer weekends. The museum can also reach capacity on free first-Sunday visits. |
ETRU FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the full ticket price? | €13. Many guides and aggregators still show €8 or €10 — those figures are out of date. EU citizens aged 18–25 pay €2. Under-18s enter free. |
| Is the Sarcophagus of the Spouses on display? | No — it is under restoration. On Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00–13:00, visitors can observe restorers at work on it in the conservation lab. |
| Which rooms are closed? | Rooms 30, 31, 32, 37, 38, and 39 have been closed since 24 March 2026 for renovation works. The elevator serving Room 13 is also out of service. Check museoetru.it for current status. |
| Is the museum closed on Mondays? | Yes, every Monday. Also closed on 1 January, 1 May, and 25 December. Free on the first Sunday of the month. |
| What is the Tomba François? | A recently state-acquired Etruscan painted tomb, now on permanent display at Villa Giulia. One of the most important works of ancient Italian painting, previously only accessible at Vulci. |
Things to do near the National Etruscan Museum
Villa Borghese park and Galleria Borghese is a 20-minute walk south-east through the park. The Galleria Borghese holds Bernini, Caravaggio, Raphael, and Titian in the most strictly timed visit in Rome (2-hour slots, advance booking mandatory). The park itself is freely accessible at all times.
The Museo Nazionale di Villa Giulia – Villa Poniatowski is the second building of the ETRU, a short walk from the main entrance, with additional Etruscan and Faliscan collections. Check current opening status on arrival — hours may differ from the main building.
Piazza del Popolo is around 1.5 km south by foot, bus, or tram. The twin baroque churches of Santa Maria dei Miracoli and Santa Maria in Montesanto, the Egyptian obelisk, and the panoramic terrace (accessible by stairs or lift) make it a worthwhile stop.
MAXXI – the National Museum of 21st Century Arts is around 10 minutes’ walk north-west and is Zaha Hadid’s principal built work in Italy — Italy’s national museum of contemporary art and architecture. Admission charged.
The Flaminio neighbourhood south of the museum is home to Renzo Piano’s Auditorium Parco della Musica, an important contemporary architecture landmark. Tours and concerts are available; check the calendar at auditorium.com.
Similar archaeological museums to visit near Rome
The Capitoline Museums (Musei Capitolini) are around 30 minutes by bus from Villa Giulia and hold the greatest collection of ancient Roman civic art in the world, including the original Marcus Aurelius equestrian statue and the Capitoline Wolf.
The Museo Nazionale Romano – Palazzo Massimo alle Terme is around 25 minutes south and holds the finest Roman mosaic and fresco collections in existence, including the frescoes from Villa Livia. Around 25 minutes by bus from Villa Giulia.
The Tarquinia Museo Nazionale is around 80 km north-west of Rome by car or train and holds the most important Etruscan painted tomb material outside Villa Giulia, alongside the full programme of the Tarquinia necropolis — a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico Luigi Pigorini is in the EUR district, around 40 minutes south by metro, and holds Italian prehistoric material complementary to the Etruscan collections at Villa Giulia.
The Naples National Archaeological Museum (MANN) is around 3 hours south and holds the greatest Graeco-Roman collection in the world — an essential companion to understanding the Mediterranean world of which Etruscan civilisation was a part.
More Rome travel
Other Rome travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- The Capuchin Crypt – Rome’s most ghoulish attraction. But can you take photos inside Rome’s Capuchin Crypt?
- Guides to ancient sites in Rome: The Temple of Vesta in the Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Baths of Caracalla, Castel Sant’Angelo and Circus Maximus.
- Guides to Rome’s most spectacular churches: The Basilica of Saint Mary of Minerva and the Church of St Ignatius of Loyola.
- Rome’s palaces: Plan your visit to the Palazzo Altemps and Colonna Palace.
- Plan your visit to the Leonardi da Vinci Exhibition in Rome.
