Accademia Nazional di San Luca was established as an artists' guild in 1577, back when it was known as just Accademia di San Luca. Even today, its aim is the appreciation of art, and to create an atmosphere in which artists and craftsmen may flourish. To this end, the association has put together a collection of fine art, commonly known as Galleria dell'Accademia di San Luca. The gallery, situated is home to some beautiful sculptures and paintings, and the collection also includes numerous portraits. The Accademia di San Luca continues to be a vital center for the arts in Rome, preserving Italy's rich cultural heritage.
The little Museo delle Anime dei Defunti, housed in a room adjacent to the sacristy of the Church of the Sacro Cuore del Suffragio, is a little macaber, but after the initial surprise, you find that it has a mystical atmosphere. The items on show represent handprints left on prayer books by individuals now deceased. An amazing item is the incandescent print of a German nun, which was left on the tunic of one of her colleagues in 1696. The collection was begun in the 20th Century and aims to show the skeptics that there is life after death. To witness some of the strangest experiences, this museum is a must–visit!
One of the most offbeat museums, the National Historic Museum of Sanitary Art, inaugurated in 1933, is hosted adjoining the Santo Spirito in Sassia and is surely a must-visit spot! The museum helps us understand how students are taught the art of healing and sanitation. The museum also exhibits some bottled lifeforms redolent of a scientists' lab. The Siamese twins are a major draw. Pope Innocent III founded the hospital in 1198 with a view, among other things, to teach medicine and equipped it thus. The museum consists of rooms largely categorized per the major components of the collections housed within: the Alexandrine Hall; the Flaiani Hall; the Capparoni Hall, portable apothecharies and the Carbonelli Hall.
The inside of the palazzo in Via Tasso is, for many, a painful but irrefutable part of Italy's history. This is where prisoners of the Nazi regime were brought for interrogation during the occupation. The museum commemorates the heroes of the Resistance and the many ostracized groups including the Jews. Photographs and biographies of many who were brought to this place make a poignant reminder of the pitfalls of hate, and some of the cells have been left in their original state with goodbye messages scrawled to their loved ones. Admission is free.