Borghese Gallery & Villa Borghese

The Galleria Borghese is a small, superb museum of sculpture and painting in a villa inside Villa Borghese, Rome’s biggest central park. Its highlights include Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne and The Rape of Proserpina, Caravaggio’s paintings and Canova’s Pauline Bonaparte as Venus. Entry is by reserved timed slot only, so book in advance. Yes, it is worth visiting if you enjoy art, even if you only have a short time in Rome.

For tickets and booking, see our Borghese Gallery tickets page; this guide covers what to see and how to plan.

Is the Borghese Gallery worth visiting?

For art, yes. It is one of the finest collections of Baroque sculpture anywhere, and because visits are timed and limited, the rooms stay much calmer than the large museums. The collection is compact, so you can see it properly in one visit.

History of the villa and collection

Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V and a major patron of the arts, built the villa in the early seventeenth century as a suburban retreat and display space for his collection. He championed the young Gian Lorenzo Bernini and the painter Caravaggio. In 1807 Prince Camillo Borghese, brother-in-law of Napoleon, sold much of the ancient sculpture to France, and many pieces are now in the Louvre. The Italian state bought the villa and collection in 1902, and the museum is now a state gallery.

Borghese Gallery masterpieces

• Bernini, Apollo and Daphne: the nymph turning into a laurel tree in marble, carved in the early 1620s.
• Bernini, The Rape of Proserpina: famous for the way fingers seem to press into soft flesh.
• Bernini, David and Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius: early works showing his rapid development.
• Caravaggio: David with the Head of Goliath, Boy with a Basket of Fruit, Sick Bacchus, Saint Jerome and the Madonna dei Palafrenieri.
• Canova, Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victorious: Napoleon’s sister reclining in marble.
• Titian, Sacred and Profane Love and Raphael’s Deposition, among other paintings upstairs.

A guide makes the stories clearer; see the Borghese Gallery guided tour.

Do you need a reservation?

Yes. The gallery limits visitors to timed entry slots, which last around two hours, and sells out often, sometimes weeks ahead in high season. Arrive early for check-in, and leave bags and coats in the cloakroom. The museum is usually closed on Mondays, but check the official site for current days and hours.

How long do you need?

Plan on the length of your slot, around two hours, plus time for check-in. Morning slots are generally quieter. It is a good choice in wet weather.

What is in Villa Borghese park?

The park was developed by the Borghese family in the seventeenth century and opened to the public in the early twentieth. It is large, green and good for a slow afternoon.

• Giardino del Lago: a small lake with rowing boats and the Temple of Aesculapius.
• Pincio terrace: a viewpoint over Piazza del Popolo, with the dome of St Peter’s in the distance.
• Casina Valadier: a neoclassical building near the Pincio.
• Bioparco, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna and Museo Carlo Bilotti: zoo and further museums.
• Bike and rickshaw rentals: popular with families.

The nearby National Etruscan Museum at Villa Giulia is another worthwhile stop.

How to see the gallery well

The villa has two floors. The ground floor is mainly sculpture, arranged in rooms where the setting was designed for the works, so look at each piece from several angles: Bernini intended his groups to be walked around. Caravaggio’s paintings are found upstairs in the picture gallery, along with Raphael and Titian. A guide or audio guide will point you to the details, such as the yielding flesh in Bernini’s Proserpina or the self-portrait features often said to be in Caravaggio’s Goliath. Take the cloakroom seriously: umbrellas, large bags and backpacks are not allowed in the rooms.

Who it is for, and mistakes to avoid

• Good for: art lovers, rainy days, couples, and anyone tired of queues at the bigger sites.
• Less good for: very young children, who may struggle with the timed, quiet visit.
• Do not turn up without a reservation and hope for a spare slot.
• Do not arrive at the last minute: late arrival can mean losing your entry.
• Do not plan a tight onward connection, because exit and the park walk back take time.

Getting there

A pleasant walk of about fifteen minutes from Spagna metro station through the Pincio gardens, or from Piazza del Popolo. Buses 52 and 53 serve the Pinciana gate. Allow extra time to walk from the park entrance to the villa. See getting around Rome.

Nearby

The Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain are down the hill; see Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps. For a broader plan, see things to do in Rome.