Borghese Gallery Guided Tour

Itinerary

Head to Piazza Scipione Borghese, in the heart of Villa Borghese, Rome’s most important green-space, where your guide will be waiting for you. Learn about this emblematic park and then follow your guide straight into the Galleria Borghese. Housed in a beautiful villa, it is considered as one of the best private art collections in the world and is one of the capital’s top art museums. Led by a knowledgeable guide, you’ll embark on a 2-hour guided tour.

The Museum’s stunning private art collection was begun by Cardinal Scipione Borghese during the seventeenth century. It consists mainly of paintings, sculptures and antiquities, all of which are wonderfully placed and non-chronological.

Marvel at its numerous masterpieces while you find out about the gallery’s history and the artists’ lives. One of the most important paintings is Raphael’s “Woman with the Unicorn”. The artist included the legendary animal into the portrait of a young woman, who is according to several theories, a family member of the Borghese family. Another highlight is Caravaggio’s “Boy with a Basket of Fruit”. This a clear example of dramatic Tenebrist-style lighting.

The sculpture dedicated rooms are also fascinating, with works of art like Canova’s “Venus Victorious”, famous for its realism. Moreover, the nineteenth-century life-size neo-Classical statue portrays Pauline Bonaparte as Venus Victrix. You’ll also admire Bernini’s “David”, a Baroque gem.

Once the tour comes to an end, you can stay in the museum and continue your visit at your own pace.

Important information

The guided tour of the Museum will be more expensive from the 1 November 2017 until 4 February 2018 because the Borghese Gallery houses a temporary exhibit called “Bernini scultore” and visitors will also explore this fascinating exhibition dedicated to the sculptural work by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.