Project Description
Borghese Gallery
Tour highlights: the masterpieces by Bernini and Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian. The villa itself it’s a jewel of the XVIIth century architecture, surrounded by a marvelous park.
Duration: 2 hrs
This unique collection was assembled by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V. Greedy and unscrupulous, but also forward-looking, he collected works by Caravaggio, Bernini, Titian and Raphael. The Apollo and Daphne by Bernini, carved in a single block, remains today his unsurpassed masterpiece.
In addition to the works, the rooms are also unique, because they were created not as a residence but rather as an exhibition center in the seventeenth century and then reworked, with great pomp, with mosaics and precious stones, to celebrate the birth of an heir. This heir was Camillo, who would become the husband of Pauline, Napoleon’s sister.
You will see her portrayed as Venus in the famous statue by Canova. It seems that when she was asked: “How could you have posed nude for Canova?”, she replied, “Yes, but the room was well heated.” This museum is one of the most valuable and extraordinary in the world. It cannot be missed!