Located in Palazzo Colonna, one of the historical private residences of the Capital, where it moved between 1969 and 1970, the Museo delle Cere was founded in 1958 on the initiative of Fernando Canini, a circus entrepreneur determined to give Rome an exhibition gallery similar to those he visited in London and Paris.
In 1958, the first exhibition, consisting of 38 characters, was exposed to the public at the Baths of Diocletian.
The collection is unique in Italy and the third in Europe for the importance and number of figures represented, after Madame Tussaud in London and Grévin in Paris.
The gallery contains 100 life-size wax reproductions of celebrities, artists, poets, musicians, athletes, political figures, and historical reconstructions.
Among the statues on display, you can admire Mazzini, Lenin, De Gasperi, Churchill, Roosevelt, Mao Tse Tung, Wagner, Charles Chaplin, Alberto Sordi, Nino Manfredi, Roberto Benigni, Stefano D'Orazio, Zucchero, and Luciano Pavarotti, Ligabue and Gigi D'Alessio, Anthony Hopkins, Julia Roberts, Nelson Mandela, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Bob Marley, and Elvis Presley.
The little ones can admire the reconstructions of the Sleeping Beauty characters.
Since 8 December 2008, the Museum has been enriched with the statues of Saint Padre Pio and Barack Obama.
Since March 2009, you can also see the new statue of Alberto Sordi dressed in the costumes of the Marquis del Grillo.
In the Museum are also the statues of Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.
Photo: Museo delle Cere
Palazzo Colonna
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The Colonna Gallery
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Discovering the museums around piazza Venezia
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Information
Museums and cultural sites are subject at the COVID containment measures.
For the opening times and guidelines please check the official website.
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Location
To find out about all accessibility services, visit the Rome accessible section.
