GALLERIA BORGHESE

The Galleria Borghese is one of the most famous art galleries in the world. It is located in Rome’s “Central Park”, and housed in the former Villa Borghese Pinciana. The gallery houses a considerable part of the Borghese collection of paintings, sculpture and antiquities, begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, the nephew of Pope Paul V (reign 1605–1621).The 22 rooms span two floors displaying some of Rome’s best ancient sculpture and mosaics, alongside Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces by artists such as Raphael and Caravaggio. The centerpieces of the collection are a number of beautiful marble sculptures by Rome’s ultimate Baroque master, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Your guide will tell you of the turbulent relationship between Bernini and the papacy, from child prodigy to disgrace and ultimately redemption. Other highlights include Antonio Canova’s world renowned marble portrait of Pauline Bonaparte (Napoleon’s sister) and Titian’s Sacred and Profane Love.Not only the gallery attracts thousands of visitors, but also astonishing green gardens that surround it in the third largest park in Rome,