Etruscan Museum
Going back to the Simonetti Staircase, the visitor may either visit the Etruscan Museum, housed in the Palace of Innocent VIII (1484-1492) or move on to Raphael’s Rooms and the Sistine Chapel. Founded in 1837 by Pope Gregory XVI, the museum contains vases, bronzes and other archaeological findings from southern Etruria, a large collection of Hellenistic Italian vases and some Roman pieces (Antiquarium Romanorum). In Room II is the notable Regolini-Galassi tomb and Rooms IV-VIII, known as of the “Precious”, exhibit gold jewellery realized by Etruscan goldsmiths during the ten centuries of their civilization.