Angels: Messengers, Guardians, Wayfarers – exhibition at Musei Capitolini

Dates: from 13 May to 1 November 2026

Venue: ground-floor halls of Palazzo dei Conservatori, Musei Capitolini (Rome)

Musei Capitolini present a thematic exhibition exploring how angels have been represented in Western art, from ancient depictions to modern and contemporary reinterpretations. The itinerary highlights the gradual humanization of angelic figures in the modern era and the symbolic readings developed between the 19th and 20th centuries.

• Curators: Massimo Rossi Ruben and Viviana Vannucci
• Promotion and organization: Rome City Council - Department of Culture, Capitoline Superintendency for Cultural Heritage; Centro Europeo per il Turismo e la Cultura; museum services by Zètema Progetto Cultura
• Catalogue: published by Gangemi Editore
• Highlighted works and loans: exhibits include Pietro da Cortona’s “The Guardian Angel” (1656) from the Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica at Palazzo Barberini; Carlo Dolci’s “The Announcing Angel” (c.1650) on loan from the Uffizi; Guercino’s “Saint Matthew with the Angel” (1622) from the Musei Capitolini collection; and an exceptional loan of Giovanni Antonio Galli’s (Lo Spadarino) “Guardian Angel” (c.1620) from the Fondo Edifici di Culto, normally kept in the church of San Rufo in Rieti.
• Lenders and collections: Museo Real Bosco di Capodimonte, Museo di Roma, Galleria dell’Accademia (Florence), Musei del Bargello, Uffizi Gallery, Intesa Sanpaolo Collection, BNL BNP Paribas Collection, Gallerie Nazionali di Arte Antica, national museums and regional institutions, Pinacoteca Capitolina, Museo Barracco and other public and private lenders.
• Contemporary works: the exhibition also features contemporary pieces from private collections, including works by Omar Galliani and Osvaldo Licini.

The exhibition provides a rare opportunity to see pieces that are not usually accessible to the public, assembled to illuminate the interplay between artistic beauty and the social or spiritual roles attributed to angelic imagery.

Practical note: check official Musei Capitolini channels for updated opening times and ticket information; the display is installed in the ground-floor halls of Palazzo dei Conservatori.