MAXXI — Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo
Zaha Hadid's swooping concrete-and-glass building is as much the exhibit as the contemporary art and architecture shows inside. The clearest evidence that Rome isn't only ancient — a short taxi ride north of the centre, and worth the trip.
MAXXI sits north of the historic centre in Flaminio, close enough to combine with a walk along the river or a visit to the Auditorium Parco della Musica, but far enough that it rarely appears on a rushed one-day itinerary — which is exactly why it stays uncrowded. The building itself, all curved concrete ramps and cantilevered galleries, was Zaha Hadid's first major public building in Italy and is worth walking through even between exhibitions.
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Every other major museum in this city is built inside something centuries old. MAXXI is the exception — Zaha Hadid's first major public building in Italy, opened in 2010, a swooping structure of curved concrete and glass that's as much the exhibit as anything hung inside it.
It sits north of the historic centre, in Flaminio, and it's the clearest possible evidence that Rome's cultural life didn't stop somewhere around the Renaissance.
The building is the reason to go, exhibitions aside
Hadid's design — all curved concrete ramps, cantilevered galleries, and channelled natural light — is worth walking through even between major exhibitions, which is unusual for a museum to be true of. It was her first major built work in Italy, and the structure itself functions almost as a permanent installation regardless of what's showing inside on a given month.
MAXXI stands for Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo — the National Museum of 21st Century Arts — and it's Italy's first national museum dedicated specifically to contemporary work, a genuinely different mandate from anything else on this list.
Far enough out to stay quiet
The location in Flaminio, north of the centre, is close enough to combine with a walk along the Tiber or a visit to the Auditorium Parco della Musica, Renzo Piano's concert hall complex nearby — but far enough from the historic centre that MAXXI rarely appears on rushed one-day itineraries. That's exactly why it stays uncrowded even when major shows are running.
A short taxi or bus ride covers the distance from the centre; it's not realistically walkable from most central accommodation.
What's actually on display
The collection spans contemporary art and architecture in roughly equal measure, with rotating exhibitions rather than a large fixed permanent display — meaning what's showing varies considerably by the month, and it's worth checking the current programme before a visit rather than assuming a specific work will be there. Italian architecture and design get particular focus, alongside international contemporary artists.
For anyone whose interest in Rome runs toward the twentieth and twenty-first centuries rather than antiquity, this is the single best stop in the city.
MAXXI — Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo: common questions
01What does MAXXI stand for?
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Museo Nazionale delle Arti del XXI Secolo — the National Museum of 21st Century Arts. It's Italy's first national museum dedicated to contemporary art and architecture.
02Who designed the MAXXI building?
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Zaha Hadid, in her first major public building in Italy. The building opened in 2010 and is widely considered as significant as the art shown inside it.
03Is MAXXI worth visiting if I only have one day in Rome?
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Probably not on a single-day trip focused on the classic sights — it's outside the historic centre and best suited to a longer stay, or a specific interest in contemporary art and architecture.
04How do you get to MAXXI from central Rome?
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It's in Flaminio, north of the historic centre — a short taxi ride or bus journey away, but not realistically walkable from most central accommodation.