Galleria Lapidaria

Veduta della Galleria Lapidaria

In the Galleria Lapidaria you can follow a fascinating route to discover the Capitoline epigraphic collection, exhibited on the underground level of the Piazza del Campidoglio, up to the internal spaces of the Tabularium, one of the archives of the Roman era.

For the blind visitors, the tactile book "Galleria Lapidaria. Messaggi dalla pietra" *, that allows the visitors to follow the exhibition itinerary thanks to a relief map of the places and drawings of some of the works present in the various exhibition sections.
* "Galleria Lapidaria. Messaggi dalla pietra " edited by Daniela Velestino, Giuseppina Simili, Maria Poscolieri. Turin 2007

A series of educational information leaflets are also available to suport the visits periodically organised by the Museum. The leaflets have been created with the help of volunteers from the Civil Service project "Musei Capitolini a portata di mano" (2017-2018).
With the 2020/2021 edition, volunteers also produced audio tales, in Italian, describing some of the masterpieces on display in the Gallery.
The itinerary explores the many aspects of daily life in the period: languages, funeral rites, law, work, games, roads and aqueducts, military life, the Roman aristocracy and inscriptions dedicated to emperors. A downloadable italian version is available on the introduction to the route.
Descrizione del percorso

GALLERIA LAPIDARIA - THE EPIGRAPHIC GALLERY

 Map of the touch book route - Galleria Lapidaria  Legend of the touch route

[click the map to enlarge]

Languages: in the section dedicated at the languages, a relief drawing of the stele with dedication to the gods Malakbêl and Aglibôl is available inside the tactile book. A downloadable version of a learning card and a Sound Card are also available in Italian for this same work.

Relief drawing from the tactile book of the stele with dedication to the gods Malakbêl and Aglibôl and photo of the work.
Il rilievo votivo con dedica agli dei Malakbêl e Aglibôl - Listen to the Audio description in Italian (.mp3)

Sepulchre: inside the tactile book there is a relief drawing of the aedicule stele with the portraits of Sulpicius Galba's servants. For this same work, there is also a panel with a relief drawing and an inscription in Braille along the route, a downloaded version of an educational information leaflet and a sound card, in Italian.

Panel in the hall and relief drawing from the touch book of the memorial stele with portraits of the servants of Sulpicius Galba
Cinerario dei servi di Sulpicio Galba - Listen to the Audio description in Italian (.mp3)

Professions and trades: inside the tactile book there is a short description and a relief drawing of the tomb slab of a flower crown maker.

The game: inside the tactile book there is a relief drawing and a short description of the slab with the game 'of the Reges'.

Worship: inside the tactile book there are relief drawings and a short description of the slab with the dedication to the Goddess Caelestis and of the slab in memory of the fall of night lightning.

Military: a relief drawing and a brief description of the relief dedicated to Silvanus and the genius of the Equites Singulares are available inside the tactile book. Also available for the sector dedicated to military life is an in-depth didactic sheet, in a downloadable italian version, of the area dedicated to Quintus Sulpicius Celsus.

Altar dedicated at Quintus Sulpicius Celsus: detail of a touch visit
Ara dedicata a Quintus Sulpicius Celsus

Aristocracy: a relief drawing and a brief description of the base of a statue of Quintus Aurelius Simmachus is available inside the tactile book.

Dedications to Emperors: for this section there is a short description and a relief drawing of the base of a statue dedicated by the Vicomagistri to the Emperor Hadrian. For this latter work, a tactile relief panel with a Braille caption can be found in the room and an in-depth didactic sheet can be downloaded in italian.

Panel in salt relief of the base of the statue dedicated by the Vicomagistri to Emperor Hadrian and photo of the work.
Base di statua dedicata dai Vicomagistri all’imperatore Adriano

In the Tabularium area there is also a scale model representing the Palazzo Senatorio building, which can be taken apart to explore the different phases of its construction, from the ancient Roman building to the current seat of the Municipality. The model has a removable panel with a relief drawing and a Braille caption representing the Piazza del Campidoglio, to help the visitor find his way around. A didactic card can also be downloaded for the model. The model is kept under a display case and can therefore be explored on request.
In correspondence with the view of the Roman Forum from the arches of the Tabularium there is also a relief panel explaining the monuments that can be enjoyed from this vantage point, including a plan of the area and a representation of the most significant buildings. A learning brochure is also available in Italian, in a download version, as well as three audio cards.

Model of the front of the Tabularium and the Palazzo Senatorio.
Facciata di Palazzo Senatorio e Tabularium

Relief panel in the hall of the Roman Forum.
Affaccio sul Foro Romano
L’età Regia e il Colosseo: listen to the Audio description in Italian (.mp3)
L’età Repubblicana: listen to the Audio description in Italian (.mp3) 
L’età Imperiale e il Medioevo: listen to the Audio description in Italian (.mp3)