Rome's Hidden Gem Museums

This magnificent 16th century villa, built for Pope Julius II, is classified as a National Museum, and yet it doesn't get the attention it deserves because of its out-of-the-way location. Tucked away on the old Vigna Vecchia, which once formed part of the city walls, Villa Giulia houses one of the world's best collections of Etruscan art and artifacts—pre-Roman antiquities including priceless terracotta vases, bronzes, armor, mirrors, jewelry and votive statuettes. The villa is a work of art in itself with triumphal arches, Doric columns, three courtyards, and an exquisite two-storey Nympheum once used for alfresco dining during the heat of summer. The museum is home to acclaimed statues of the Roman gods Apollo and Hercules, and a unique bride and bridegroom coffin from the 6th century B.C., considered one of the world's most important Etruscan art treasures.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30am to 7.30pm.

Okay, this delightful museum at the foot of the Spanish Steps isn't exactly hidden away, but the tourist hordes that stream past it every day barely give it a second glance. Located at No 26, Piazza di Spagna, this 18th century palazetto is the house in which the great British poet John Keats died in 1821 and has been faithfully preserved as a memorial to him and many other English poets, writers and artists who spent time in Italy, including Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, the Brownings, Henry James, Edith Wharton and James Joyce. Wander through the elegant salons and see original letters and other mementos including manuscripts, paintings, Keats's death mask, and a library filled with the world's finest collection of romantic literature—a lovely way to spend a morning or afternoon.

Open Monday to Saturday, various hours. 

While most visitors to the Vatican head staight for St Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, there is a much quieter and altogether more peaceful retreat just behind the vast complex that's as close to garden heaven as you can get. While not strictly a "museum", the Vatican Gardens are a unique work of art (both natural and man-made) which have enthralled visitors for centuries. Split into two areas—the sprawling park of the Villa Pia and forest above it, and the landscaped gardens behind the apse of the Basilica—the gardens are spread over nearly 40 acres and contain rare palms and plants from around the world, as well as ancient fortifications, monuments, statues, grottoes and lawns which are tended by a team of 30 full-time gardeners. A guided tour is offered every day at 10am (except Wednesdays and Sundays), but tickets must be puchased in advanced and you must have a passport and be properly dressed to enter.

Open daily 9am to noon, guided tours at 10am.   

The ancient and modern worlds clash in spectacular style at the Museo Centrale Montemartini, Rome's first electrical power station which has been turned into a most unusual exhibition space. When the Capitoline Museum underwent reconstruction in the mid-1990s, 400 Greek and Roman statues were stored at the then de-commissioned power plant. It was only meant to be a temporary move, until a sharp-eyed curator realized the industrial setting was an eye-catching backdrop for the sculptures. See classic statuary from the Roman and Etruscan eras exhibited against vast turbines from the industrial age, as well as artifacts from burial grounds, tombs and temples, and a magnificent mosaic floor depicting scenes from a Roman hunting party.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm.

This rather drab 19th century building isn't the most inviting, and is located in one of the shabbier areas of Rome close to the Termini train station, but houses an incredible collection of Roman and Greek art and artefacts. One of several important buildings, including Palazzo Altemps, the Crypta Balbo, and Museum of Musical Instruments, Palazzo Massimo is the seat of the Museo Nazionale Romano and has access to some of the best antiquities in Italy, either as permanent or temporary exhibitions. Set over three floors, the museum's collections feature ancient Roman art, coins and jewelry, much of it discovered in Rome and the surrounding Latium region, lending a "buried treasure" atmosphere. The exhibits also trace the social, political and economic history of money, which adds a layer of poignancy given today's global financial challenges.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9am to 7.45pm.