Best Statues and Sculptures in Rome: Complete Guide to Masterpieces by Michelangelo and Bernini

Rome is an open-air sculpture museum. Some of its greatest statues are free to see in churches, squares and bridges, while others are inside the Borghese Gallery, Vatican Museums and Capitoline Museums. Start with Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica, Michelangelo’s Moses in San Pietro in Vincoli, Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the angels of Ponte Sant’Angelo, and the Borghese Gallery sculptures if art is a priority.

Quick Answer: Which Statues Should You See in Rome?

If you only have time for a short sculpture-focused route, see Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica, Bernini’s angels on Ponte Sant’Angelo, the Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona, the small elephant in Piazza della Minerva, the equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius on Capitoline Hill and Michelangelo’s Moses in San Pietro in Vincoli.

If you love sculpture, book the Borghese Gallery for Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne, David, and Rape of Proserpina, plus Canova’s Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix. Add the Vatican Museums for the Laocoön and the Capitoline Museums for the Dying Gaul, Capitoline Wolf and original Marcus Aurelius bronze.

Many of Rome’s best sculptures are free to see, but several of the most important masterpieces require timed museum tickets or access through active churches.

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Best Statues and Sculptures in Rome at a Glance

Sculpture	Artist / Period	Where to See It	Access
Pietà	Michelangelo	St. Peter’s Basilica	Free basilica entry after security
Moses	Michelangelo	San Pietro in Vincoli	Free church entry
Ecstasy of St. Teresa	Gian Lorenzo Bernini	Santa Maria della Vittoria	Free church entry
Elephant and Obelisk	Gian Lorenzo Bernini design	Piazza della Minerva	Free outdoor sculpture
Fountain of the Four Rivers	Gian Lorenzo Bernini	Piazza Navona	Free outdoor sculpture
Angels of Ponte Sant’Angelo	Bernini project and workshop	Ponte Sant’Angelo	Free outdoor route
Marcus Aurelius equestrian statue	Ancient Roman bronze	Campidoglio / Capitoline Museums	Copy outside, original in paid museum
Pasquino	Ancient fragment / talking statue	Piazza di Pasquino	Free outdoor sculpture
Giordano Bruno	Ettore Ferrari	Campo de’ Fiori	Free outdoor sculpture
Mouth of Truth	Ancient Roman marble mask	Santa Maria in Cosmedin	Church / photo queue rules vary
Apollo and Daphne	Gian Lorenzo Bernini	Borghese Gallery	Timed paid museum visit
Rape of Proserpina	Gian Lorenzo Bernini	Borghese Gallery	Timed paid museum visit
Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix	Antonio Canova	Borghese Gallery	Timed paid museum visit
Laocoön	Ancient sculpture group	Vatican Museums	Paid timed museum ticket
Dying Gaul	Ancient Roman copy of Hellenistic work	Capitoline Museums	Paid museum ticket for non-residents
Capitoline Wolf	Ancient / medieval debated bronze tradition	Capitoline Museums	Paid museum ticket for non-residents

Best Free Sculpture Route in Rome

This route links several major sculptures you can see without booking a museum ticket.

1. Start at San Pietro in Vincoli for Michelangelo’s Moses.
2. Walk toward Via dei Fori Imperiali for imperial statues and views toward Trajan’s Column.
3. Continue to Capitoline Hill for the Marcus Aurelius copy, Dioscuri and Forum view.
4. Walk toward Campo de’ Fiori for Giordano Bruno.
5. Continue to Piazza di Pasquino for the talking statue Pasquino.
6. Walk to Piazza Navona for Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers.
7. Continue to Piazza della Minerva for Bernini’s elephant.
8. End near the Pantheon or continue to the Trevi Fountain.

If you want to add St. Peter’s Basilica and Ponte Sant’Angelo, make it a separate Vatican-side sculpture route rather than forcing everything into one day.

Michelangelo Sculptures in Rome

1. Michelangelo’s Pietà

Michelangelo’s Pietà is one of the most famous sculptures in Rome and one of the most moving works inside St. Peter’s Basilica. It shows Mary holding the body of Christ and was sculpted when Michelangelo was still very young.

The sculpture is now protected behind glass, near the entrance on the right side as you enter the basilica. Because it draws crowds, see it early in your basilica visit before moving toward Bernini’s baldachin and the nave.

• Where: St. Peter’s Basilica.
• Access: basilica entry is normally free after security.
• Best for: Michelangelo, Renaissance sculpture, Vatican art.
• More planning: St. Peter’s Basilica guide.

2. Michelangelo’s Moses

Michelangelo’s Moses is in the Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli, near the Colosseum and Monti. It forms part of the unfinished tomb project for Pope Julius II.

The statue is famous for its intensity: Moses sits with the Tablets of the Law, full of contained movement, tension and power. Many visitors also notice the small horns on his head, a result of a biblical translation tradition connected with rays of light.

• Where: San Pietro in Vincoli.
• Access: normally free church entry; respect Mass and closure times.
• Best for: Michelangelo fans, Colosseum-area art route, church sculpture.
• Nearby: Colosseum, Monti, Santa Prassede, Santa Maria Maggiore.

Bernini Sculptures You Can See for Free

3. Ecstasy of St. Teresa

Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa is inside Santa Maria della Vittoria, near Piazza della Repubblica and Via XX Settembre. It is one of the greatest Baroque sculptures in Rome.

The work shows St. Teresa in a mystical vision, with an angel, dramatic drapery, theatrical light and a chapel setting that turns the sculpture into a complete stage.

• Where: Santa Maria della Vittoria.
• Access: normally free church entry; lights may require a coin.
• Best for: Baroque art, Bernini, church sculpture.
• Nearby: Piazza della Repubblica, Capuchin Crypt, Palazzo Barberini.

4. Bernini’s Elephant and Obelisk

Bernini’s small elephant in Piazza della Minerva is one of Rome’s most charming public sculptures. It carries an ancient Egyptian obelisk on its back and stands just behind the Pantheon.

This is a perfect small detour between the Pantheon, Santa Maria sopra Minerva and Piazza Navona.

• Where: Piazza della Minerva.
• Access: free outdoor sculpture.
• Best for: hidden details, Bernini fans, short historic-center walks.

5. Fountain of the Four Rivers

The Fountain of the Four Rivers in Piazza Navona is both a fountain and one of Rome’s great outdoor sculpture groups. Bernini created it for Pope Innocent X Pamphilj, and it represents four rivers associated with four continents known to 17th-century Rome.

Look closely at the Nile, Danube, Ganges and Rio de la Plata figures. The fountain’s animals, coins, gestures and obelisk all add layers of symbolism.

• Where: Piazza Navona.
• Access: free outdoor sculpture.
• Best for: Baroque Rome, Piazza Navona, fountain sculpture.
• More planning: Rome fountains guide.

6. Angels on Ponte Sant’Angelo

Ponte Sant’Angelo is one of the best free sculpture walks in Rome. The bridge is lined with angels holding symbols of the Passion, designed as part of a Baroque project associated with Bernini and his workshop.

The two angels carved by Bernini himself were kept from the bridge and are now in Sant’Andrea delle Fratte; the bridge angels still create one of Rome’s most beautiful approaches to Castel Sant’Angelo.

• Where: Ponte Sant’Angelo.
• Access: free outdoor route.
• Best for: Vatican-side walks, photos, Castel Sant’Angelo route.
• More planning: Castel Sant’Angelo guide.

Outdoor Statues and Public Sculptures in Rome

7. Marcus Aurelius on Capitoline Hill

The equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius is one of Rome’s most important ancient bronze sculptures. The statue in Piazza del Campidoglio is a copy, while the original is preserved inside the Capitoline Museums.

The outdoor copy is still worth seeing because it sits in Michelangelo’s redesigned square, one of the most important civic spaces in Rome.

• Where: Piazza del Campidoglio.
• Access: copy outside for free; original inside Capitoline Museums.
• Nearby: Roman Forum viewpoint, Piazza Venezia, Capitoline Museums.

8. The Dioscuri on Capitoline Hill

At the top of the Cordonata staircase leading to the Campidoglio, you will see the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, with their horses.

They are part of the monumental entrance experience to Capitoline Hill and work best as part of a wider Capitoline route.

• Where: top of the Cordonata, Capitoline Hill.
• Access: free outdoor sculpture.

9. Pasquino and Rome’s Talking Statues

Pasquino is the most famous of Rome’s talking statues. These sculptures became places where people could attach anonymous political satire, criticism and protest.

The six talking statues are Pasquino, Marforio, Madama Lucrezia, Abbot Luigi, Il Babuino and Il Facchino. The last two are also fountains.

• Where: Piazza di Pasquino, near Piazza Navona.
• Access: free outdoor sculpture.
• Best for: political Rome, street history, unusual sculpture.

10. Giordano Bruno in Campo de’ Fiori

The statue of Giordano Bruno stands in Campo de’ Fiori, the square where he was executed in 1600. The monument by Ettore Ferrari gives the square a serious historical weight, even though the area is now busy with markets, bars and restaurants.

See it during a Campo de’ Fiori, Jewish Quarter or Piazza Navona walk.

• Where: Campo de’ Fiori.
• Access: free outdoor sculpture.
• Best for: public memory, history, central Rome walks.

11. Julius Caesar on Via dei Fori Imperiali

The statue of Julius Caesar stands along Via dei Fori Imperiali, among other imperial statues near the Roman Forum.

It is easy to miss because the surrounding ruins are so dramatic. Use it as a quick stop while walking between Piazza Venezia and the Colosseum.

• Where: Via dei Fori Imperiali.
• Access: free outdoor sculpture.
• Nearby: Roman Forum, Trajan’s Column, Colosseum.

12. Sculptures of Trevi Fountain

Trevi Fountain is one of the largest and most theatrical sculptural compositions in Rome. Its central figure, Oceanus, stands above a rocky stage with horses, Tritons and allegorical figures.

Treat Trevi as sculpture, not just a photo stop. Visit early or late, then look carefully at the movement, scale and storytelling built into the façade.

• Where: Piazza di Trevi.
• Access: free outdoor monument.
• Best for: Baroque spectacle, first-time visitors, night atmosphere.

13. Trajan’s Column

Trajan’s Column is one of Rome’s most important narrative sculptures. Its spiral relief tells the story of Emperor Trajan’s Dacian campaigns in stone.

You cannot read every scene from street level, but the column is still essential for understanding how Rome used sculpture to tell political and military stories.

• Where: near Piazza Venezia and Trajan’s Forum.
• Access: free exterior view.
• Best for: ancient history, relief sculpture, imperial propaganda.

Statues in Rome’s Museums You Should Not Miss

14. Apollo and Daphne

Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne in the Borghese Gallery captures the moment Daphne begins transforming into a laurel tree. It is one of the clearest examples of Bernini’s ability to make marble feel like skin, bark, leaves, hair and motion.

The sculpture rewards slow viewing from more than one angle. Do not rush it.

• Where: Borghese Gallery.
• Access: timed paid museum visit.
• More planning: Borghese Gallery guide.

15. Rape of Proserpina

Bernini’s Rape of Proserpina, also called the Abduction of Proserpina, is another major Borghese Gallery sculpture. It shows Pluto seizing Proserpina and is famous for its emotional intensity and astonishing marble detail.

This is one of the strongest reasons to book the Borghese Gallery if sculpture matters to you.

• Where: Borghese Gallery.
• Access: timed paid museum visit.

16. David by Bernini

Bernini’s David is full of movement, tension and concentration. Unlike Michelangelo’s calm Florentine David, Bernini’s version catches the hero in action.

See it as part of the Borghese Gallery’s sequence of Bernini masterpieces.

• Where: Borghese Gallery.
• Access: timed paid museum visit.

17. Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix

Antonio Canova’s Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix is one of Rome’s great Neoclassical sculptures. Pauline reclines as Venus, holding the apple connected with the mythic judgment of Paris.

It gives the Borghese Gallery a different sculptural mood after Bernini’s drama.

• Where: Borghese Gallery.
• Access: timed paid museum visit.

18. Laocoön

The Laocoön group in the Vatican Museums is one of the most famous ancient sculptures in Rome. It shows Laocoön and his sons struggling with serpents, a scene connected with the story of Troy.

It is one of the Vatican Museums’ essential sculpture stops, especially if you are interested in ancient art and Renaissance admiration for classical sculpture.

• Where: Vatican Museums.
• Access: paid timed museum ticket.
• More planning: Vatican Museums guide.

19. Dying Gaul

The Dying Gaul is one of the most moving ancient sculptures in the Capitoline Museums. It is a Roman copy of a Hellenistic work and shows a defeated warrior in his final moments.

See it inside Palazzo Nuovo as part of a Capitoline Museums route.

• Where: Capitoline Museums.
• Access: paid museum ticket for non-residents.

20. Capitoline Wolf

The Capitoline Wolf is one of Rome’s most important symbolic sculptures. It represents the she-wolf connected with the legend of Romulus and Remus, the mythical founders of Rome.

A copy is visible outside on Capitoline Hill, but the famous work is inside the Capitoline Museums.

• Where: Capitoline Museums.
• Access: paid museum ticket for non-residents.

21. Boy with Goose

The Boy with Goose is a playful ancient sculpture in the Capitoline Museums. It is useful if you want a softer and more everyday contrast to Rome’s emperors, gods and heroic figures.

• Where: Capitoline Museums.
• Access: paid museum ticket for non-residents.

Other Ancient Sculpture Highlights in Rome

Ara Pacis

The Ara Pacis is one of the best places in Rome to study Roman relief sculpture. Its carved panels show figures, plants, processions and Augustan symbolism.

This is a paid museum visit, but it is especially rewarding for visitors interested in ancient Rome, Augustus and political imagery.

Vittoriano Sculptures

The Vittoriano at Piazza Venezia is full of sculptural symbolism, from the equestrian statue of Victor Emmanuel II to allegorical figures and the goddess Roma.

Even if you do not love the monument’s scale, it is worth looking at the sculpture program and terrace views.

Mouth of Truth

The Mouth of Truth is a large ancient marble mask in the portico of Santa Maria in Cosmedin. It is famous for the legend that it will bite the hand of a liar and for its role in the film Roman Holiday.

It is fun to see, but do not spend a long time in line if your schedule is tight. The church and the nearby Forum Boarium area are also worth attention.

• Where: Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Piazza Bocca della Verità.
• Access: church / photo queue rules can vary; check current hours.

Statue of St. Peter

Inside St. Peter’s Basilica, the bronze statue of St. Peter is one of the most devotional sculptures in Rome. Pilgrims have touched or kissed the foot for centuries, leaving it visibly worn.

Access can vary depending on services, crowd control and basilica rules.

Modern and Unusual Sculptures in Rome

Foro Italico Statues

The statues at Foro Italico are very different from Rome’s ancient and Baroque sculpture. They belong to a 20th-century sports and political complex and reflect Fascist-era ideas about the body, athleticism and public space.

They are not essential for a short first visit, but they are interesting if you want to understand Rome’s modern architectural and political layers.

Angel of Grief

The Angel of Grief by William Wetmore Story is in Rome’s Non-Catholic Cemetery near the Pyramid of Cestius. It is a moving funerary sculpture showing an angel collapsed in mourning.

Visit it respectfully. The cemetery is peaceful, beautiful and still a place of memory.

• Where: Non-Catholic Cemetery.
• Access: check current cemetery hours; donation appreciated.
• More planning: Pyramid of Cestius guide.

How to Plan a Sculpture-Focused Day in Rome

Best Free Sculpture Day

1. San Pietro in Vincoli for Michelangelo’s Moses.
2. Via dei Fori Imperiali for imperial statues and Trajan’s Column.
3. Capitoline Hill for Marcus Aurelius, Dioscuri and the Forum view.
4. Piazza Navona for the Fountain of the Four Rivers.
5. Piazza della Minerva for Bernini’s elephant.
6. Trevi Fountain for sculptural drama after dark.

Best Paid Museum Sculpture Day

1. Book Borghese Gallery first.
2. Focus on Bernini and Canova.
3. Walk through Villa Borghese after the visit.
4. Add Capitoline Museums only if you are comfortable with a museum-heavy day.

Best Vatican-Side Sculpture Route

1. Start at St. Peter’s Basilica for the Pietà and the statue of St. Peter.
2. Walk through St. Peter’s Square.
3. Continue to Ponte Sant’Angelo for the angels.
4. Visit Castel Sant’Angelo if you want the museum and terrace.
5. Book Vatican Museums separately if you want the Laocoön.

For a deeper museum option, you can also

compare Borghese Gallery tours and tickets on GetYourGuide
.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Only visiting museums. Some of Rome’s best sculpture is free in churches, squares and bridges.
• Forgetting church hours. Free church sculptures can be inaccessible during closures, Masses or restoration.
• Leaving Borghese Gallery too late. It uses timed entry and often needs advance planning.
• Trying to see Vatican Museums and Borghese Gallery in the same day. It can be done, but it is a lot of art fatigue.
• Looking only at the front of sculptures. Bernini especially rewards slow viewing from multiple angles.
• Ignoring copies. Rome often displays copies outdoors while preserving originals inside museums.
• Missing small public works. Pasquino, the elephant, the Book Fountain and the Porter Fountain add character to a walk.

Rome Statues and Sculptures FAQ

What is the most famous statue in Rome?

Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica is one of the most famous statues in Rome. Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne in the Borghese Gallery is one of the most famous museum sculptures.

Where can you see Michelangelo sculptures in Rome?

See Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica and Moses in San Pietro in Vincoli. Both are normally accessible through church visits rather than museum tickets.

Where can you see Bernini sculptures in Rome?

See Bernini sculptures in the Borghese Gallery, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Piazza Navona, Piazza Barberini, Piazza della Minerva, Ponte Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s Basilica.

Are there famous statues in Rome you can see for free?

Yes. Free highlights include Michelangelo’s Moses, Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa, the Fountain of the Four Rivers, the elephant in Piazza della Minerva, Pasquino, Giordano Bruno and the angels of Ponte Sant’Angelo.

Which museum in Rome is best for sculpture?

Borghese Gallery is the best museum for Bernini and Canova sculpture. Capitoline Museums are best for ancient Roman sculpture. Vatican Museums are best for the Laocoön and papal ancient collections.

Do you need tickets for the Borghese Gallery sculptures?

Yes. Borghese Gallery is a timed-entry museum. Book ahead if you want to see Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne, David, Rape of Proserpina and Canova’s Pauline Bonaparte.

Is the Marcus Aurelius statue outside the Capitoline Museums original?

No. The statue in Piazza del Campidoglio is a copy. The original ancient bronze is preserved inside the Capitoline Museums.

Is the Mouth of Truth worth visiting?

It is worth seeing if you are nearby, especially with Santa Maria in Cosmedin, the Forum Boarium and Circus Maximus. It is not worth a long queue if your time in Rome is short.