Where the gods meet the machines

The Centrale Montemartini is Rome's most surprising and unusual museum: a place where the statues of ancient Rome stand against a backdrop of vast industrial machines from the early 1900s. You'll find it on Via Ostiense, in the Ostiense district, inside Rome's first public thermoelectric power station, opened in 1912.

The effect is spectacular and almost poetic: classical marbles, gods and emperors silhouetted against diesel engines, boilers and turbines. It's a dialogue between two very different kinds of "deity" — those of antiquity and those of industry — that turns the visit into a one-of-a-kind experience, far from the crowds of the city-centre museums.

From power station to museum

The building began life as the Giovanni Montemartini thermoelectric power station, Rome's first public plant for generating electricity. After it was decommissioned, the space was reclaimed, and in 1997 it hosted a temporary exhibition — The Machines and the Gods (Le Macchine e gli Dei) — to display part of the Capitoline Museums' collections during renovation work. The show was so successful that the display became permanent: today the Centrale Montemartini is a branch of the Capitoline Museums.

What to see

The collection includes hundreds of ancient sculptures, mosaics and finds, among them:

  • Masterpieces of Roman statuary from the Horti (the great gardens of ancient Rome).
  • Statues of deities, portraits of emperors and funerary sculptures.
  • Mosaics and the celebrated pediment from the temple of Apollo Sosianus.
  • The great halls with their original diesel engines and boilers, an integral part of the display.

You'll find a curated highlights list in our guide: what to see at the Centrale Montemartini.

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A photogenic, peaceful museum

The Centrale Montemartini is one of Rome's hidden gems: rarely crowded, and perfect for anyone after a different kind of experience or a love of photography. The contrast between the white of the marbles and the black of the machines creates unique views. It also pairs beautifully with a stroll through the Ostiense and Garbatella districts, between street art and industrial archaeology.

How much time you need

A full visit takes about an hour to an hour and a half. It's ideal to combine with the nearby Ostiense and Garbatella districts, or as an "alternative" stop on an itinerary that takes in the Pyramid of Cestius and St Paul Outside the Walls.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Centrale Montemartini? It's a museum in Rome, a branch of the Capitoline Museums, set inside a former thermoelectric power station from 1912. It displays statues of ancient Rome against a backdrop of huge industrial machines: a contrast found nowhere else in the world.

Why are the statues displayed among the machines? Because the display began in 1997 as a temporary exhibition (The Machines and the Gods) in the former power station, during renovation work at the Capitoline Museums. Its success made it permanent.

Is the Centrale Montemartini part of the Capitoline Museums? Yes, it's a branch of the Capitoline Museums and belongs to the same museum network run by the City of Rome.

How long does a visit take? About an hour to an hour and a half. It's a compact museum, perfect to combine with a stroll through the Ostiense and Garbatella districts.

Is the Centrale Montemartini worth visiting? Absolutely: it's one of Rome's most original experiences, uncrowded and highly photogenic, ideal for anyone who has already seen the great classics and is looking for something different.

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Article #317 · Category: Monuments · Updated: May 2026