Palazzo delle Esposizioni

The Palazzo delle Esposizioni on Via Nazionale in the Monti district is Rome's civic exhibition hall, inaugurated in 1883 to designs by Pio Piacentini. Its monumental porticoed entrance and quadriga reliefs embody the architectural ambitions of the young Kingdom of Italy after it claimed Rome as capital in 1870. The building hosted early shows of contemporary Italian art and later the Quadriennale di Roma. Today it runs rotating exhibitions on photography, architecture and contemporary art, plus a basement cinema and a relaxed book-cafe. Walking up Via Nazionale toward the Quirinal you almost cannot miss it, and the broad outdoor steps make a useful pause between two museum visits.