Gallery Borghese

Yes, another amazing place. The masterpieces go on and on! With pre-booked timed entrances, you have exactly two hours to get through the treasures. The entire building and its' decorations are amazing - it is visual overload. One does get a real feel for the talent of Bernini in his amazing sculptures - how he did all this from a single block of marble is a miracle really. The movement, detail and texturing of his subjects is unsurpassed. In comparison, sculptures prior to this look flat - he really did bring the life into this art form.

The park is lovely, like Stanley Park or Central Park, a reprive for city folk to get a nice walk or group bicycle ride amongst the lovely (and very Italian tall pine trees). People everywhere enjoy the same things it seems.

This art museum is housed within the Villa Borghese Pinciana, designed by architect Flaminio Ponzio as the suburban home of Cardinal Scipione Borghese. The home was given extensive renovations in the 17th century but dates back to when it was Scipione Borghese' home (1579-1633). The house has two floors with 20 rooms, the architectural and interior design features of the building are an attraction in themselves. One of the rooms has a trompe l'oeil ceiling fresco and another has Roman floor mosaics. In the entrance hall there is a mosaic featuring gladiators which dates back to 320AD and was found on the Borghese Estate at Torrenova.

The works of art on show came from the private collection of Cardinal Scipione, son of Ortensia Borghese (Pope Paul V's sister) and Francesco Caffarelli. The Cardinal was a patron of artist Bernini and an avid fan of Caravaggio. The collection includes pieces of ancient art as well as Renaissance and baroque art which re-evoke the Golden Age. The collection includes sculptures and paintings.
Canova's statue of Pauline Bonaparte (1805-1808) is one of the highlights of the collection. Among the paintings are 107 works received by the Cardinal as a gift from the Pope, the paintings had been confiscated from painter Giuseppe Cesari. Raphael's Deposition was another personal gift from the Pope and in 1682 Correggios' Danae joined the collection. Visitors can see Bernini's Apollo and Daphne, Titian's Sacred and Profane Love and works by Lorenzo, Botticelli, Lotto, Rubens, Savoldo, Bassano and Domenichino.

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